Wayward
by LaPetiteCafe
Summary: The equations are all falling into place but one. The Unknown Variable must be dealt with if WICKED will ever dare hope to find their cure. Only, they have to be fast before a domino-effect is induced and the amount of untouched variables they have is still enough to yield desired results.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

 **Quick A/N:** _So my friend has introduced me to this site and safe to say my life's been corrupted but I welcome it. This place is beautiful. I've only been into the GoT section/Avengers section as of now but decided to see how many stories were out there for Maze Runner. There weren't much so I decided I'd give my own shot at writing fanfiction and work on my writing to see how it works out._

 _Word of notice: I infused both elements of the movie and book to create this madness. Enjoy~_

* * *

The wind tickled the somber green stalks around him. _He's the last one ever._ Those foreboding words had sent waves of trepidation down the backs of those around him. The more put together ones tried to hide it, but Aris always had a good eye for things. Or so he thought he always did. He couldn't really remember anything past his name and his abrupt awakening in that 'Cube.' But he wished he did, if not for the sake of his sanity, at least for the knowledge to be able to assure those girls around him that he was good. Or at least he thought he was.

Aris gripped the cloth on his chest. There were so many _or's_ and uncertainties – he didn't like it. He didn't like not knowing anything. And he'd only been here for how many hours? He looked around the _Plain,_ as the girls called it. Mostly green with an alcove of trees set in one corner of the enclosed space, he momentarily wondered how they had been able to fare for so long with so little information.

" _Ah-reese?"_

Half his body did a jump while the other part of him turned to whoever had addressed him. The product of this dilemma resulted in him timbering ungraciously over the caller's feet. His eyes automatically closed upon the following chuckle. "It's _Aris,"_ he clarified.

"Newbie is what most of this Plain is calling you, so you'll get what I give," the voice retorted. Then he heard some shuffling before he felt a body loom over him. He opened his eyes to find a girl with dark hair crouching on the open grass next to him. "I'm surprised you haven't gone into the Maze yet."

Sitting upright, Aris dusted off the grass blades surely tousled into his hair. "It's a death warrant apparently," he replied, nodding over to the other girl leaning against the mouth of the said Maze.

"That it is," his companion replied before getting up. "Listen, I don't know what you are that letter exactly mean but as of now you're nothing but a bad –"

Aris shot up. He wasn't bad. He knew that – they had to know that. His previous interrogation had proven nothing out of unusual about him besides his gender. He was like them! He was –

"Innocent. I told you everything I knew," he sighed exasperatedly.

" – ly nourished kid right now," his dark-eyed companion finished. Her eyes shot over to him half-heartedly teasing and most assuredly assessing. "So you're going to eat and stay by my, Sonya's –" she nodded towards the girl by the Maze, "and Wei's side." She finished just as a low rumble filled the air.

The blonde by the Maze – Sonya – fixed both him and the girl beside him a blank stare as what he guessed were the doors to the Maze, slowly began to close. Aris's own gaze remained fixated on the doors as what appeared to be two blurs of red and green blitzed past it just as they were closing. "I thought you said no one was allowed in," he said, but when he turned, his companion was no longer beside him. Instead, a hand pushed his shoulder towards the gathering of small tents.

"Come on, newbie." It had been Sonya. Aris sighed and with one last glance at the now closed Maze, he followed the two girls back to the center of the Plain.

* * *

They had been arguing for the past hour with nothing accomplished but one bruised ego and an aching arm. Again, Aris felt cold as if some pair of predator eyes were watching his every move. Yet as he looked up, he only saw the same scene with the same group of girls and resumed nursing the ache in his arm. _She really can pack a punch…_

"We're wasting time!" the dark-haired girl, Harriet, shouted. Mentally, he nodded his head in agreement as the other five in the room watched on with apprehension. Ever since his arrival, ever since the unclosing of the Maze door, the bond among the group of girls in the Plain seemed to crack. At first, he thought it had been his fault, but if the gradually parting in the group in front of him was anything to go by, he knew better now that his presence had just been a trigger.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up again and as discreetly as possible, his eyes scanned the small room. This time, they met stone-grey eyes and he froze.

 _Wei,_ his mind supplied him. That was the name of the girl who had also been tasked as his keeper for the past few days he had been in the Plain. However, despite that, it only truly had been Sonya and Harriet watching him. Wei was just a precautionary, Sonya had explained the other day. Her duty as a Runner prevented her from preforming any other task. But now that the walls refrained from closing, she had remained in the Plain fuming with the other Runners.

"I say we go for it, go for the dead Screecher," Wei spoke up. "It might have the last piece of the puzzle for us and gods know that we could use all the clues we can get."

"It's too risky," repeated the opposing ginger, Rosa. "You'll just get killed."

"We'll all get killed," Wei shot back just as Rachel, the other Newbie, beside him, seemed to part her lips to speak out. "Those walls aren't closing. They're picking us apart one by one –" she paused. "I'd rather die trying to get out than hiding from them. So Harriet," she nodded over towards the respective leader. "I'll ask for formalities sake, will you let Rachel and I map the way out?"

Instantly, he didn't know why, but a shot of fear took hold of his body. Vaguely, he could feel a tug somewhere in his brain, as if his thoughts were being pulled back. But before he could put words to the cacophony in his head, Rachel had left his side and was half-way past the door following Wei.

* * *

Everything was falling into their plans. Every variable was falling into place except – Rachel shook her head. They had come out with more survivors than intended but she supposed that it would be okay. More subjects to mess with it, that's all it meant. A hand rose up to touch the scratch on her head but someone else's fingers beat her to it.

"Alright there?" It was Wei.

 _Her fault._

That's what the voice in her head was saying. She had to be taken out. They had to be rid of her for things to progress in accordance with the plan. But how?

 _Sacrifice._

Something tugged at her gut and Rachel inched closer to Aris without responding to Wei's concern. Normally she would, the girl had been pleasant enough to both her and Aris, but ever since the Changing, she had seen more than she had desired. She had more suspicions and questions than answers and _Wei_ – Wei appeared to be more than a fearless Runner now.

 _She's become an uncontrollable variable._

"Are you okay?" Aris asked the girl who had suddenly appeared at his side. She nodded slowly, to keep the throb in her brain from getting any worse. They had to move her out of the equation, even if it was just only for a little while. _But who is they?_

"Rachel, are you sur –"

A loud screech trespassed the otherwise still air. All the leftover spears rose up as each girl warily looked around. "That's a Screecher, isn't it?"

"How did it follow us?"

"Where is it?"

"Guys…" the boy beside her muttered and then she felt it too. A draft in the short corridor. There was an opening somewhere but in the dim light, it was hard to tell where it was coming from.

"Behind us. It's from behind us." Her mind briefly identified the speaker as Sonya.

"We –"

"On it."

"Bring someone with you," Harriet ordered; Rachel felt another tug in her gut, the word _sacrifice_ going through her head.

"It'll be quick," rose at the same time with Rachel's, "I'll keep watch." This caused the two girls to look at each other before they heard Harriet relent with a sigh.

"Hurry up," she said.

Rachel nodded despite the dim lighting and turned to follow the jogging girl. Her vision tampered, she found Wei again by colliding against her side. The said girl made no comment and settled for a glance before bending down to her knees.

"There's an opening, yeah – half-way open from what I can feel," she observed.

Rachel felt the air shooting out from the hidden hole and wondered out loud; "Big enough for a person?"

"I'd even say half a Screecher wh –"

To her credit, she didn't scream, but as Rachel jogged back to the others she wondered if that would have brought her any benefit at all if she had instead. At the end of the day, explaining her disappearance would be difficult either way. Rachel could only hope that the girls of Group B would believe her words.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

 _Famished._

That was the word that described everyone in the room right now. From hogging liters of soda from the others to attempting to shove whole slices of pizza down their throats – all the girls, including Aris, were hungry. Their cook in the Plain had done a great job keeping them fed, but there would always be something missing in her dishes, and as the flavors burst on his tongue, Aris pushed the thought away and focused once again on his meal. He tried to at least before a queasy heaviness pulled at his gut.

 _Rachel._

The only other one in the Plain that had really understood him. The only one he really had a connection with besides the head Runner, Harriet, Sonya, and Lucy. _That_ name had sent another punch to his gut. Lucy had been the youngest among them – a child really. She wasn't a teenager like the rest with her round eyes and juvenile pout. They had lost her the same time they had lost Rachel. Two sky-starved birds shot with one bullet. His eyes unconsciously went over to the deceased Rosa's friends. They had trailed after her through the Maze, barely surviving themselves but they had made it. They blindly followed their leader and had caught up with them. But at what cost? They sat huddled in a corner of the room estranged from the rest of the girls.

Yet, as Aris reminded himself to take another bite out of his slice – _his taste buds would never tire from the succulent flavors –_ he saw that chanced glances and an overall empty space left in the makeshift circle presented the idea that the girls' sisterhood would overpower even the toughest trials they would go through. A swell of admiration blossomed in Aris' chest as he realized this as he reached for his drink.

"Wait," a voice cut in, just as a hand swiped his cup away. Aris looked up and spotted Sonya's copper-blond hair first before he actually came face to face with her. "Thought you could use a refill," she handed him back his cup.

Aris nodded in thanks and stared down at the dark carbonated drink. "You're not alone, you know?" Rachel continued talking. She gestured towards the crowd of girls in front of them and it was then that Aris took a closer look at their tight smiles and glassy eyes. "We have you and Rachel to thank for all this – we're free, we're _remembering,_ it's all we and everyone we've lost could hope for," Sonya took his free hand and intertwined their fingers. "They won't be forgotten, Aris," she pressed on. " _We_ won't be forgotten."

And somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if that had been the true fear rooted behind all the hardened exteriors of the girls around him.

 _Being forgotten._

Because who else was to remember _them,_ rather than the numbers they were labeled as, if they had died? Aris found himself squeezing Sonya's hand. That was probably the worst end possible – to live only to not exist.

 _Rachel._

Belatedly, Aris realized the name was spoken out of his thoughts. Looking down at the girl beside him, he found his ears slowly attuning themselves to her words. She was talking about Rachel's first day _awake,_ in the Plain.

Aris felt himself give a bittersweet smile.

 _Yes,_ they won't be forgotten.

* * *

It was unlike anything in the world to wake up in a dark room. Not even her experience in the Cube could match the distorted buzz and ache overwhelming her senses. Was she alive? Was she dead? All Wei could remember was Rachel pushing her through the hole, cold air rushing past her fingers before – _nothing._ Touching her forehead, Wei felt the dried blood first before feeling the steady thrum echoing against her skull. She had knocked her head against something and now, _now –_ she was back in the Maze. Or she assumed she was as she felt through her surroundings. There was slime in some places leaving her to believe that the cavernous room she had fallen into was a Screecher's den.

 _Lovely._

Rubbing her eyes, Wei finally fully opened them to try and gain an outline of anything in her current location. Nothing stood out but a faint outline of light at the far end of whatever room she was in and so, Wei tried pushing herself off the ground to inspect it. The keyword was _try;_ the muscles in Wei's calves gave out before she could properly stand an part of her would later thank that stroke of luck just as the creak of something mechanical emitted from somewhere above her. Staying down, Wei didn't even have time to question what it had come from before she felt a chill pass over her body as the light beyond her got larger.

By the time enough light was shed inside the room she was in, Wei didn't even need to look up to know what creature stood exactly above her. However, despite all her muscles and thoughts screaming at her to run for self-preservation, she remained still – even as the Screecher evacuated its hole, she remained still. She was a Runner but _gods, did that really just happen?_

It did, and slowly Wei mustered enough resolve to pull herself out of the barren hole and back into the Maze. Yet something about it seemed different. Given that they entered through a different hole, but still – she had never seen any walls or _walkways_ at all in her Maze, and she had seen it all. She had run through every nook and climbed every cliff in the Maze – this was not her Maze!

Her breathing was quickening but the ache in her body and the knots in her calves were slowly dulling. Wei threw one last glance at the hole before making the resolution that if she was going to get out of this new Maze, (if it at all truly was a new Maze, half her mind reasoned that she was just panicking,) she would have to get out of it first and get to the center before any Screechers discover her.

She was going to have words with Rachel after this.

* * *

They were separating them, but between the food-induced comatose they were falling into and the aching muscles that were finally settling in, Aris couldn't really find it in himself to protest. Just the idea of a bed and a shower was enough to silence any protest that could arise from him and the other girls. They were safe anyway, he reasoned, the Maze was far beyond them now and they could be at peace. But before he truly left the common room that they had been dropped in, he felt a tug on his hand. Looking up at the insurrectionist, or whatever he truly was, beside him, he noticed the frown on his lips but otherwise, he nodded and Aris turned to face his holder.

Sonya.

Her face was flushed but he didn't really pay mind to that. Her eyes were searching and he wondered out loud what was wrong, what she needed.

"I – forget it," she shook her head and let go of his hand. "We'll – have a good sleep, okay?" she threw out before rushing back to the other girls. The guard next to him let out a noise, Aris strangely thought it resembled a chuckle, but it out of his mind and sent his own goodnight towards the other girls. They all either raised their hands, mumbled something back, or nodded at his direction in reply before disappearing through the double doors which they were being led through.

"Come on, kid," the guard cut into his reverie. He pushed a different set of doors open and Aris followed him through them without another word. "I'm sure you're looking forward to a nice bath," he spoke as he threw open two doors. One, he peered into, was a simple white-tiled bathroom and the other, he was told was his bedroom.

"It's a bit spacious but, we thought there'd be…" the guard's voice trailed off and Aris nodded, keeping him from continuing. _More,_ he had wanted to say. Well, so far he had been the only guy so they were sorely over-prepared. Not that he was complaining. A few weeks spent in a public bedroom of sorts were not having him complaining about the space. He welcomed it.

"Anyway, I'll leave you to it now. I'll be locking the doors however – precautions and stuff," the guard bit out before walking away. Aris started at his fleeting back for a few seconds before heading to the bathroom for the shower his body desperately needed.

Inside, he found a new pair of clothes already prepped for him and just as he was about to close the door – he heard the double ones click shut and locked. _Well, that's it,_ he thought. The Maze and the Plain seemed such a faraway place now, he felt as the warm droplets of water washed away the accumulated dirt from his body: washed away the physical imprints the Maze had left on him. The scars and wounds would fade over time too but – Aris closed his eyes as he rose his face to meet the onslaught of water – he would always remember. Sonya, Harriet – the other girls hadn't said it, but he knew that they all had the same idea – they would never be forgotten. They may have removed themselves from the Maze, but a part of it will always be with them.

Yet as he lay on one of the middle top bunkbeds, he realized that he had never felt so alone before. And it was so quiet. The hole he had been ignoring in his chest suddenly grew – _Rachel._

She had always filled his thoughts with her own. They're connection had been weird, but it had also been special. It kept him on his feet – sane. But now, there was just the silence.

When Aris fell asleep that night, he would wake up the following day ignoring that there had been tear tracks on his face.

* * *

Fire.

There was fire everywhere and the dark figures were just standing there, watching everything burn. For a moment, Wei forgot that this was not her family's Plain and began running towards the nearest one. But the stitch in her side was persistent and she tripped – _gods, when had it been the last time since she tripped? –_ sprawling all over the grass in a graceless manner.

"Hey!"

That definitely was not a girl's voice, she screwed her eyes shut as she rolled onto her back. When she opened them again she came face to face with a boy's face and a part of her almost convinced herself that it was Aris. But the light brown locks were missing and it was unmistakable –the fire glowing against those blond strands did not belong to Aris. The face was not Aris, this was not her Plain, that had not been her Maze, she was –

"Hey," this time, the voice was gentler. Wei opened her eyes again and found the boy extending an arm out at her. "You alright?"

 _Peachy,_ she wanted to say, but she bit back her tongue, the despair, and took his hand that helped her get back to her feet. "I'm –"

"Newt! Who is it?!" another boy came into her view. Light-tanned olive skin and his hair – how was his hair that perfectly styled?! Wei shook her head as she belatedly realized she was still holding blond boy's hand. She let go just as he too seemed to notice. By this time, Stranger Number Two was by them.

"Who is _she?"_ he questioned, shamelessly sizing her down.

"Dunno," Stranger One had an accent, Wei briefly recalled their little girl, Lucy, having one too. "You didn't come from the Box, did you, girly?" he asked, looking past her and onto a slap of cement somewhere in the middle of the field. Her eyes followed his after noticing that there were other boys finally attending the flames. The slag of pavement looked eerily familiar and she made the translation of _Box_ to _Cube_ in her head.

"No, I –" she paused briefly. If they were truly like her family, but with boys this time – because the similarities were too much to prove otherwise – she wondered if mentioning the fact that she was from the Maze would help or cause at all. But she caught the flash in Stranger One's, _(Newt, was it?),_ eyes and swallowed her lie. "I came from the Maze," she said.

Their eyes widened by more than a fraction, and Wei wondered if the lie would have worked better. Stranger Two ran a hand through his nice hair, turning to the side and mumbling something in strange words while Stranger One looked ready to slam his head against something. But before either could verbalize any word, another boy came up to them - large with burning eyes.

" _Who is she?!"_

Now, her eyes were widening. The brute was stomping out a war path towards her.

" _Gally –"_

He had seized her by the throat!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

 _No, wait that's my collar,_ she yelled at herself. This was not the time for taking things too lightly!

" _Who are you?!"_

She had two options – try and slide out of her shirt, or fight back in blind faith that her two left hands would be enough to free her from the brute. Stranger One, _Newt,_ appeared to read the ideas filter through her face as Wei saw him take a cautionary step forward. But in the end, it wasn't him who saved her, it was Stranger Two who had smashed his body against the hulking boy. This action sent all three of them falling and Wei, with the air knocked out of her, tried to quickly roll as far away as possible from her assailer. She was stopped, however, when Stranger Two's body landed on her slimmer build. If her body had been recovering earlier – it definitely wasn't now.

"Move!" she stammered out, feeling the blood rush to her face. _Gods he was so heavy!_ Luckily for her, the only bystander left not in a mess finally sprung into movement and helped move the rock body that had toppled over her. She would have thanked him but as she sat up, more pressing matters came into mind.

"Gally! Stop!"

More boys, she realized, had gathered around them and both Stranger One and Two had gotten enough of their bearings to stand in front of her. Peering past them, she could see the reason for their defensive stances as the brute from earlier was being held back by three confused faces. " _She's one of them!"_

She was one of what? WICKED? Wei shook her head as she slowly stood up again. Ignoring the whispers in the air she pushed past the two strangers to confront the brute. "I came from the Maze," she asserted once more, but this time, she fixed her gaze at all those around her. " _Two_ Mazes, actually – I'm not with whoever them is, but if you guys are anything like the other Maze _I_ came from, I'm assuming you're talking about WICKED."

Again the whispers arose, louder this time and accompanied with more brazen glances and stares. The brute had relaxed at last as well but his guards remained leery at his sides anyhow. Meanwhile, Newt and Stranger Two were sucked into their own quiet conversation before a dark-skinned guy pushed through the crowd. "You're bleeding," he said, stopping in front of her.

Wei couldn't help herself and raised an eyebrow. After all she had been through, she would be surprised if she was told she _wasn't._ However, before she could reply, Newt stepped forward and sent a hush to fall among the crowd. "Everyone," he paused, and Wei pretended to not feel his eyes upon her. "Clean up what you can and get some rest, we'll figure things out tomorrow –" an obnoxious huff cut him off and all eyes darted over to the brute that had assaulted her. Stranger Two took this time to move in front of Wei as he crossed his arms across his chest.

" _Slim it, shuck-face."_

The words flew over her head, but if she had to guess, she assumed that these boys had created their own lingo during their time in their Plain. _Did they even call it a Plain?_

"You're all making a mistake, and I won't be here anymore to watch it get worst," the brute spoke up before walking off. Or more like _sulking off._ Wei spotted Newt and Stranger Two roll his eyes and spare her an amused glance respectively. Had she said it aloud? At this point, the world was moving too fast for her to know.

"Well?" Newt suddenly spoke. "Get with it!" And the boys, she belatedly noticed, finally broke the circle around their strange trio to do their respective duties. All but the one who had pointed out her injury. From her peripheral view, she saw Newt give him a nod. "Take her into the Medi-tent, Jeff. Take care of her wound and we'll get over there as soon as possible," he commanded before him and Stranger Two took to a jog at the direction of what appeared to be a large splintered hut.

A few seconds of solace managed to encompass both her and the boy named Jeff as they watched the figures of the other boys grow smaller and smaller with each step. However, the peace was not to last as the boy beside her coughed. She looked over to him, waiting for his next few words and Jeff, having not been accustomed to any girl at all, (Teresa had been different – she had always seemed off from the beginning while this one looked like she went from hell and back,) pointed towards a big mess at their left with what looked to be half of a hut standing by it. "We should go," he said.

Wei nodded – or at least did one nod before a tremor ran through her body. Jeff seemed to notice and without hesitating, slung her arm over his shoulder as his own wrapped around her waist. A sharp inhale had him loosening his hold as he glanced over her. "Just sore," Wei explained as they slowly hobbled towards the hut. As they got closer, she noted that most of the boys were converging there. "I've been falling a lot today," a snicker escaped her companion and despite herself, the Runner found herself giving a small smile in reply.

But the massacre materializing in front of her quickly had her stopping in her tracks. Her feet stumbled over each other and forced Jeff to let out what she thought to be another one of their lingos as he rearranged his hold on her. "What happened here?" she mumbled as they continued past the debris and soot-covered faces. Tardily, she noticed that what looked like hammocks and makeshift beds were what the boys were trying to assemble. A tug at her heart almost had her stopping again as she spotted one boy that looked no older than her Lucy give up as he dropped the bundle of fabrics in his hand to cover the glistening in his eyes.

"The Doors didn't close and the Grievers – _shuck,"_ Wei politely stayed quiet as her escort stopped in front of the hut. "They destroyed everything." Jeff excused himself after the statement, mumbling something about checking if there was space inside, and Wei took it in stride as she realized that he was just coming into terms with what had happened to them. She could be empathetic with him, _heck,_ she could relate with probably most of the boys she was with. The same exact thing had happened to her and her family. It had torn them – broke them even, and as she cast one more wayward glance at the little boy who was now on the ground surrounded by his mates, she found herself hoping that they would take action much faster than her family had.

"Hey," the boy who emerged from the hut was not Jeff. He had more hair – had gray in his hair, and had a calmer aura about him. "Can you tell me what hurts?" he asked as he gently helped her in. As they passed through the door, Wei spotted one bed shoved against a corner with a sweat-glistening patient groaning on it and a girl, an _unfamiliar_ girl sitting bedside. The two hardly noticed her as she passed by however, as Clint quickly sat her onto the other bed – pulling a sheet across the room to act as a divider between her and the other two. Behind her she heard shuffling, and turned to find Jeff arranging crates against the gaping opening of the hut. He felt her eyes on her and squeezed out a tight smile before resuming with his task.

"Don't let Clint amputate anything," he spoke with his back to her. The other boy, Clint, shot him a look as he dug through one of the crates.

"Speak for yourself, _slinthead,"_ Wei smiled at the easy talk flowing between them. "Can you lift your shirt up for me?" Clint stood over her with a bag spilling with what she assumed to be medical tools at his side. Wei easily acquiesced to his command, and showed her abdomen to the inspecting medic. Jeff, at this time, had chosen to attend to the patient in the other side of the room.

"I know you already have a sprained ankle," Clint observed as his fingers prodded at her external oblique. She cringed. "Some bruising here and," he put a finger in front of her eyes and had her follow its movement, " – maybe a minor concussion – Jeff! Get me some kind of light!" he shouted as he moved away from her.

Wei rolled her shirt over her stomach again and lay down at Clint's direction. "What's your name?" he asked after she settled down.

"W- Wei," she replied as a sudden rush of blood went to her head.

"I'm Clint, as you heard. My helper's Jeff, and since you're probably wondering, you're at the Glade," he explained softly. Wei appreciated the quiet tones he was conversing her with and made to reply if not for Jeff who burst into the room.

"It's all I could get," he produced a glass mason jar with a candle inside. Clint took it and put it in front of Wei's eyes and directed her to follow its movement. Once the procedure was done, he left the light by the makeshift table by her head.

"Hopefully it's a minor concussion, the pupils aren't reacting properly," he said, sauntering over to his desk. "We'll leave you here to rest, Jeff will be in the room over if you nee –"

"How is she?" it was Newt and his partner from before. Clint shot him a look as Wei sat back up again. Ignoring the vertigo and the exasperation detailed on the medic's face, she waved over at Newt.

"Fine."

"Needs resting."

Clint and Wei exchanged looks just as another head popped into the room. " _She?"_

It was the other girl. Stranger Two shot her a look as his hands found their places on his hips. " _Great,_ it's a party."

"Oh _slim it,_ Minho. Teresa, we'll fill you in later," Newt cut in. The girl with the large blue eyes looked over at her one more time looking torn between obeying and staying, but decided that from the moan emitting from the other patient, her other friend needed her more than a stranger's explanation. Or at least that's what Wei assumed they wanted

"She needs rest, Newt," Clint spoke up before anyone else could. He stood just slightly a bit in front of her as if that was enough to shield her from the upcoming interrogation. However, it was not Newt who had the biggest problem with his interference.

" _No –"_

 _"I'll explain,"_ the two dark haired teenagers traded a look before Wei sighed and brought her knees closer to her chest. Clint half-way threw his hands up in the air before he grabbed his medic bag and walked out the hut.

"I'm Wei," she started, keeping her eyes on anything but the two boys. Newt found himself a seat on the desk while Stranger Two seemed content to stand in the makeshift doorway. "I'm…from a different Maze. Where I'm from, we call our version of your Glade the _Plain,_ and –"

Once she found a way to explain things, there was no end to the words spilling from her mouth. From her first month to her escape, she told the two attentive boys _everything._ There was no filter to sugarcoat things, no pause to let them throw in their questions or comments – just the pure truth of the story of how she and thirty other girls broke free. Or how they broke free, she smiled bitterly as she finally stopped at the end of her tale. Obviously, she was still trapped albeit in a different Maze –but it was all the same. She was still lost.

"Well," she looked up and found both boys either staring at her or at the ground in blatant disbelief. " _Shuck."_

"Yeah," she found herself agreeing with him. Now that she had time to look things over, it was pretty hard to believe that it all had happened. That they had been living in parallel worlds – both struggling, both trying to get out, and only just miles apart. "It's pretty crazy."

"And you said some slinthead pushed you into one of those Griever holes and you ended up here?" Stranger Two questioned. He hadn't once looked away from her, and briefly Wei wondered if it was because he was trying to weigh each word out of her mouth to see if it was the truth or not.

"Yeah, I did. We were in a hallway of sorts and I'm guessing it links both our Mazes or else –"

"How do we know we can believe you?" he cut off.

Wei's eyes narrowed at him. "Do I look like I'd lie about something like that? Do you think I purposely got hurt to make my story more believable?"

" _Minho,"_ it was Newt speaking now. "You said you had one boy come up, talking bout the end and all that?" Wei nodded her head in confirmation. She instantly regretted it, however, as her headache flared back to life. "Get some rest," he finally relented, pushing the scowling boy out the room. Wei opened her mouth to interject something but Newt was already shaking his head. "This is a whole bloody lot to take in," he paused.

"Wei," she supplied.

"Newt," the boy seemed to automatically reply. "I believe you, I _think_ I believe you, but with what's happened so far, we're gonna need some time to sort this all out," he continued.

"I understand," she murmured. And she did. If their places had been switched, if she had found a random boy claiming the same madness she had been through for the past few years after that horrid night – she would've needed some time to herself as well.

"Get some rest," he repeated before walking out.

Wei lay down on her cot and closed her eyes, but she didn't sleep. Much as she would've liked to have drifted off right then and there, the pressing issue of how her family was doing bothered her too much. She was sure Rachel had pushed her and now, she worried about what else she could do to the others. Would they have – _did they believe her lie?_ Did they - a rustle had her eyes snapping open. She turned to find the same blue eyes from earlier.

"I believe you," the girl whispered. Wei didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. Her family had taken a lot of time learning to trust their only boy, Aris, and if this girl was his equivalent – then did her support really even help at all?

"Thank you," she said and the head disappeared behind the curtain again. She would take it. Wei decided she would need all the help she could get and it was nice knowing that her history would not be ignored by at least one person.

Sleep, however, was not meant to last long.

There was commotion going on at the other side of the curtain and the heat of the sun peeping through the patches in the roof were waking her up. However, she elected to keep her eyes shut and listen in on the conversation.

The other patient was awake, that much she could get as she heard Newt's and Stranger Two's – _Minho's, (_ that was his name, right?), voice rise up among someone else's. Unfortunately, right after they stopped conversing came up the voice of the brute who had attacked her yesterday. From what she could pick up, he was going off about how someone named Thomas still had to be punished. There were others against it, she heard the girl from last night speaking out against him too, but it appeared that the brute had more power over them.

Some stomping preceded after the argument and Wei's eyes opened.

"Having fun there?"

Miraculously, she didn't jump or fall out of her bed. Have a mini heart attack, yes but overall she still preserved her dignity and that was all she could have asked her. "When –" she turned her head and found Newt quietly observing them from the doorway. "I didn't –" his companion shot her a smirk. Wei huffed and sat up with her arms crossed. "You sticks caught me, happy?"

"Sticks?" the boy repeated.

" _Slintheads?"_ she recalled someone using it last night. Stranger Two leaned back in the chair he had brought over with him, nodding his head. The translation seemed to suffice for him.

"So the bloody lovefest done yet? Or should I leave?" Newt called out to the two. His companion shot him a glare, but as for Wei, the innuendo flew over her head as she looked towards him with almost bated breath.

"Well?" she asked.

The mirth on his face dropped. "I have to check on Tommy first," he said, appearing to bypass her inquiry. "Minho, the _slinthead_ by you, is going to take you to your very first Gathering," he smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine._

* * *

Gally's control of the group was careening out of his grasp. With vacant eyes, he watched as the coup slowly gathered in front of him. Thomas and Teresa stood at the head as the other Gladers previously on his side mustered up the gall to throw him pitying looks and walk over to join them. In a burst of spite, half his body twitched to lung at Chuck who was jogging towards them with survival packs spilling out of his arms and hanging off his back. He almost did – but the damned Runner was faster and Minho's blade pressed harder against him; his betrayal hadn't surprised him the least either along with Newt. The two were too soft, naïve – they were all going to die.

Vaguely, he heard Thomas plead with him and the other six Gladers that had remained at his back. _His builders,_ Gally crossed his arms as Minho finally deigned him harmless and slid over to their ranks. No, he would never join him. He wasn't going to willingly sign over his life like that.

" _You're a fool,"_ it was the girl from last night. The one that had emerged from the Maze and told everyone at the Gathering about her group and how they had managed to break themselves free from their own Maze. Her _family,_ as she often referred to them, were probably dead now. The klunk that had pushed her had been doing her a favor, had given her another fighting chance – but what was she doing instead? Risking her life again to get out.

"If that's what you call someone who wants to survive," Gally moved his unerring gaze at the boys he once thought to be his brothers. " _All of you are going to die!"_ he shouted. "And all because you followed this Greenie," he pointed at Thomas. "Over me. You all will regret your choices later," and with that, he stomped away. He was not going to bid farewell to dead faces.

Wei sighed and kicked the dirt by her feet as she felt Teresa's eyes land on her. Looking up, the two exchanged nervous smiles before Thomas cajoled everyone to head into the maze. Not two steps in, however, did Newt speak up, raising his hands saying; "Woah, wait," he ignored the jittery way Wei and some of the Runners and other boys were jumping from one foot to the other. "I think we need some words of motivation," he announced, looking over to the Keeper of the Runners.

In unison, everyone followed his lead just in time for Minho to shake his head as he beckoned everyone closer. Sending Newt one last glare, he clapped his hands together and scanned the crowd of Gladers plus one, (or two, technically – Teresa hadn't really had the chance to earn the title for herself,) who looked expectantly towards him. "Alright, well," he cleared his throat. "Don't trip. Be careful, don't get shucking lost. Stay together and don't die. It's not allowed."

Going by his apparel, she guessed that the boy next to her was a Runner too and accustomed to Minho's tactfulness, or lack of – as he attempted to hide his laughter with a cough. Newt was the one who verbally poked at it though.

"Great," Wei heard him mumble before adding aloud, "We're all bloody inspired."

Despite having gone through a similar ordeal already, Wei still found herself severely overwhelmed by the carnage caused by the monstrosities attacking them. More than two boys had already perished by their stingers and swipes as her and the rest furiously fought with all their might. Her hearing was flooded by adrenaline and so all she could hear were blurred screams and Minho shouting distinct numbers at Teresa and Chuck. Once he reached the final one, most of the Gladers including herself found their hands empty of weapons as they receded behind the few who still had spears in theirs.

Dimly, she felt someone pull her behind them and found that the act of chivalry although unwarranted, forced her behind _all_ of the boys and next to the two hacking at the entrance. Teresa noticed her presence and threw her desperate blue eyes at her; " _It's not going through."_ Wei pretended to not notice the tears ornamenting the crinkles of the other girl's eyes and her own hammering chest as she faced the holographic device. The numbers had obviously passed through in the correct sequence but – the Gladers' collective shout of Minho's name temporarily drew her out of her trance as she looked over at them.

Minho was under a freaking Screecher. " _Hurry!"_ Thomas yelled as Wei tore her attention back at the puzzle. _Think, think, think –_

 _"PUSH!" Lucy's voice soared past the war cries and screams. Wei's focus couldn't be spared, however, as she swiped against the links connecting the Screecher's body to its leg – like any creature, it took a sudden involuntary lurch forward giving the lanky girl it had loomed over time to scuttle back to their ranks. What came next was the sweet sound of something hissing open and without a word, all the surviving girls took aim and hurled their spears or arrows at their targeted Screecher._

 _"Push!"_ Wei breathed out and slammed her palm against the red circle. A second later it turned green and then – the _hiss._ The locks were unhinging and the wall was opening. She ushered Chuck, who was too wide-eyed to recognize that escape was just a minor fall into abyss away through the door once it was large enough for a person to go through as Teresa handled calling everyone else's attention towards the exit.

"Come on!" she turned towards Wei as a few Gladers blitzed past them. She grabbed her hand and together, the two disappeared through the hole.

* * *

"Anything seem familiar yet?" Clint asked as the group of survivors treaded through the emergency-lit tunnel. Wei shook her head as she once again caught her eyes straying everywhere. She had been hoping that the girls had left a sign or at least a note of some sort for her to go off on, but that had only been because she was expecting to exit through the same corridor. This one was evidently not the one that she and her family had gone through. It was wider and longer with lights – nothing at all was familiar.

"Where's Jeff?" she countered, deciding not to worry herself. As long as they had made it out, then she wouldn't be bothered by it. One way or another, she would find them again after she escaped. But then she noticed that the boy beside her hadn't responded yet and she took it as her job to look for him in the crowd of twenty or so Gladers. She ignored the fact that there should have been more of them as she looked for the easy smile and sharp buzz cut idiosyncratic to that of the medic. When she found it missing, (she had double-checked – he really wasn't there,) Wei's eyes tentatively sought out Clint's. But his were obscured by his pepper-salt fringe as he gave her an almost indiscernible nod.

Something in Wei's stomach dropped as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. She didn't even have to pretend to understand him. The losses that her family had gone through, while fewer, still caused the same hurt that was probably festering in the hearts of all the Gladers around them.

" _Oh,"_ she vaguely linked the voice to a boy who earlier introduced himself with a buoyant smile and plate of breakfast as Frypan. "You've got to be kidding me," he complained causing the people around him to look up. Wei didn't know whether she wanted to cry or laugh as Minho cursed and pushed the already unlocked door open with a glowing green Exit sign hanging above it.

What they saw next made her choice much clearer. Separating herself from Clint's side, Wei pushed past the hesitant Gladers and entered the lab-like space the door led to with Thomas, Newt, and Minho just a few steps ahead of her. Teresa was by her side however as the rest of the Gladers finally went in.

" _The shuck?"_ Wei noticed Minho's tightened fists first before her eyes found Newt as the trio of boys peered through a glassed room. There were two bodies on separate operating beds covered with dark-stained sheets. She couldn't recognize either one, but if the clenched fists and the muttered curse were anything to go by, she assumed the worst and led her and Teresa away from them.

Other Gladers had already shaken their own respective trepidations about the area and were freely exploring the room. If the fresh carcasses were bothering them, they weren't letting it show. Somehow, Chuck had found a place by her side as the leading trio entered the room. Wei heard a glide and spotted Minho kick an abandoned gun to the side. She cringed and decided to lead her and Chuck towards the space with the least amount of bodies littered about.

A video was suddenly triggered to play on the screen across from them and she found herself and Chuck walking over to watch it with the others. That had been their condemning mistake; the Flare, the barren Earth – _life,_ as she thought she knew it did not exist and she had been an experiment – a _freaking_ experiment. Her chest began to burn as well as her eyes. Like everyone else, she was in shock. This was not supposed to be how freedom was going to be.

 _"I told you,"_ everyone jumped and turned around at the rasp of a familiar voice. Wei was somewhere in the front of the group, just by Chuck and Thomas as Gally pointed the previously discarded Gun at the latter. " _You all should have listened to me,"_ his grip was trembling. Gally was a ticking bomb; Wei placed a hand on Chuck's shoulder.

"Gally – " Thomas was going to try and reason with him but Wei knew better. Gally was past reason.

" _He's been stung!"_ someone cried out the same time Gally shouted for everyone to be quiet.

" _We belong to the Maze, Thomas,"_ he spoke as if it hurt to even say. But before Wei could take the silver teardrops trailing down his face in, she heard the shot of the bullet first and grabbed both Chuck and Thomas – hoping to pull them away from its range.

Things after that coalesced quite quickly afterwards.

Minho had a spare spear in hand apparently, and had thrown it just as the bullet left its chamber. Thomas and Chuck had been lucky, however, as they tumbled backwards with Wei – _safe, unharmed –_ but Gally and another Glader had suffered in their stead as the former gasped for air due to a punctured lung while the latter's shirt blossomed in red.

Chuck was the first to react as he pushed himself away from both Thomas and Wei, shouting the injured boy's name. Everyone quickly fell in accordance as well as Clint began shouting out orders for a bandage or – _"something to stop the shuckin bleeding!"_

Slowly, she stood up as Thomas too, left her in place to hover over the wounded Glader. She looked over at Gally's no longer breathing body and let out her own breath that she didn't remember holding in herself. A hand roughly grabbed her collar before she could do anything else.

" _Hey!"_ besides her, Minho too appeared to have lingered outside the circle and was attempting to pry her assaulter's grip off her – but whoever it was had already let go of her collar by pushing her off towards a sudden gust of wind. _Outside._

There was the exit towards the outdoors!

"Move!" someone yelled behind her as more strangers dressed in black pushed through the room.

Wei's feet moved by themselves. _Was this it?_ She wondered. Where they finally going to be free from the Maze?

* * *

Two days.

It had been two days since they last saw or breathed in the Maze and Plains. It'd been two days since their numbers had dwindled and tiny Lucy had died. No girl had spoken a word or batted an eyelash about their grievances to each other, but Aris suspected that it was only because they refused to show any vulnerability in front of their saviors; their saviors who had all but dropped them in, what he earlier realized, was a small gym with offices and locker rooms transformed into bedrooms. They'd send in two or three people to haul in their meals on a silver med bed but otherwise, they had kept their distance from them. Heck, no one had even bothered to ask them about their captors or survey the extent of their injuries.

He had voiced these observations to Harriet and worried over them with Sonya, but like the other girls, they had taken up an oath of silence on the issues at hand and kept busy with, well, _maintenance._ Whether it be the state of the common room, their bedrooms, bodies, or health – they, unlike him, had kept the stringent alarms of worry at bay and acted as normal as they could be. A part of him wanted to quit pacing about like a raving madman too, but – Aris couldn't quite settle down.

His time in the maze had beenrelatively shorter than the others, therefore he was not as quick as them to rejoice in the meager freedom that they've been given to taste so far, and as he aimed for the box of pizza delivered among the other dishes that would be tonight's dinner, he wondered if he truly was the only one bothered a lot by the situation.

He glanced over at the doors their saviors had disappeared through and caught one girl's eye as he did so. However, she didn't so much as acknowledge him before she turned back to her group of friends. Briefly, he registered that she was one of the builders who hadn't joined the temporary coup.

"Oh, sorry!" Aris's hands flew out to catch the girl's plate. "I'm sorry, really sorry," she kept repeating as he handed over her dinner. Aris waved off her apologies as he gave her a quick look over. For the most part, nothing about her appearance rang a bell of familiarity in his head, but he was sure that her awkward smile and elbows and knees physique was something he had often seen flitting around the Plain. Perhaps she had been a Planter of some sort, but for all he could know, she was just a skinny builder instead.

"It's okay, it was my fault," he assuaged. "Wasn't looking. "

The girl let out a short and somewhat shrill laugh as her head bobbed just a little too fast as a reply. "Fine," she said, then tucked a loose strand of coppery-brown hair behind her ear. "I mean it's fine, I get it – I'm Frances, by the way, or you might've heard me referred to as Fran," she introduced, then paused as if an errant thought had wiggled its way to the forefront of her mind. "And this is –" she stopped as both their heads turned to find the spot on her side empty. Frances let out another one of her high-pitched laughs. " _Was,"_ she corrected herself, " – Beta. But she tends to, or well – I should go find her," she finished, more of murmuring to herself towards the end.

Aris nodded once he realized that the brown eyes looking at him were waiting for a dismissal of sorts. _Frances,_ while still somewhat unfamiliar in his head, nodded back before she headed over towards a much smaller girl with waist-length dark brown hair. He grabbed a corner seat for himself after politely waving Sonya away. However, it was only until he had woken up later for a bathroom break would he realize that Frances, or _Fran,_ had indeed been a name he had been introduced to back in the Plain. She had been the Head Planter that had been indisposed at the time of his arrival. It was only upon being sent to retrieve some of her workers to help out in the kitchen was when he had heard her name passed around the other Planters.

He also remembered seeing her lanky figure topple over some grape vines, but before he could further delve into that memory, he opened the door leading into his bedroom – (his sleeping room had changed, it now had its own lavatory), he discovered more than one unwelcome adolescent male in his room.

* * *

 **A/N:** _And now we're officially heading into the Scorch! I apologize if anything seemed rush but I was really amped up to begin with this part of the Trials. But anyway, hope it was still okay!_

 _And like I promised, here is the list of who made it to Group B!_

 _-_ Artemis

-Annaleise (Beta)

-Amelia (Mel)

-Ella

-Frances (Fran)

-Antoinette (Anne)

(lotta A's..)

 _Thank you for everyone else who submitted their OCs! It was tough narrowing it down to these 6 as I knew anything above that number would either unfortunately turn into cannon fodder during the trials as it would be hard to fully juggle and flesh out any more. Everyone had been lovely, though, and if I decide to tackle something like this again - well, there's always a next time, yeah?_

 _PS. to those who made it, remember - not everyone is safe ;) Your answers for the last, Crank bit decided whether you would be Immune and therefore alive. And there had only been one correct answer ;D_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine._

* * *

" _You're bleeding,"_ Wei belatedly realizes it, but the unmistakable splotch of red was there. Save for the labored breaths that had disappeared with the other Glader in the other helicopter, Thomas appeared to be the only other one with a blatant injury. Other eyes zoned in on it, but neither their rescuer nor another Glader made a move to staunch the bleeding. It was if they'd all just come out a dream – which to an extent it almost seemed like it.

The chopper that had been awaiting them outside had flown up as soon as the last Glader had gotten on, and from that vantage point, they had been given a glimpse of the large facility that had been built over their prison. They had been underground the whole time. For that, Wei couldn't blame anyone for feeling a bit too surreal at the moment.

"I'll be fine," Thomas covered the gash that the bullet had grazed on his arm. For a moment, Wei was tempted to throw his disregard away, but the energy in her was gone. All that was left was the shock and worry for her group. _Had they seen this too? Had they been rescued as well?_

She looked at the masked rescuer and decided that it was a topic better breeched on the ground once everyone had been settled down. For the meantime, at least in her head, they were safe.

Chuck's head landed on her shoulder causing the girl to look down. But the boy kept his mouth shut and his eyes down, and Wei knew better than to intrude on his thoughts. Instead, she let her own head rest against the window by her as she focused on the steady thrum that the wind was creating as it beat against the exterior of their ride.

They would be fine.

* * *

Another girl screamed, and for a moment, Harriet's feet almost stopped to turn back but Sonya was right beside her and she pushed her forward before the hesitation could take her to the origin of the cries.

"Keep running!"

 _Artemis._

The name briefly flashed in her head as she sought out the outline of the Runner but try as she might, she was unable to gauge anything but the relentless screaming. _Someone make it stop,_ she pressed her eyes closed as her and the other girls continued running blindly through the tunnel. The Maze had only been their first trial – they were all _sick,_ they had to kill a boy –

" _Zinch!"  
_

"Artemis?!" Sonya called out as she held out and arm to stop Harriet. Said girl, heaved out a cough as she futilely cast a glance at the girls she knew that were behind her. Their labored breathes echoed among the few stifled sobs being muffled into sleeves and empathetic shoulders. _God,_ she wanted to comfort them but she wasn't going to sugarcoat their reality. They were better off alert than comforted and lax.

" _I'm okay,"_ the Runner's voice sailed over them. "Just hit some steps. I think we'll be reaching the exit soon. Just be careful going up."

Harriet ignored the girl breaking down behind her and nudged for Sonya to go up first with Artemis. Figuring that there might be a door heavily locked to lengthen their stay in the tunnel, she also called out for Ella, their Head Constructor, to lend them muscle if needed.

"Everyone else, keep your heads covered! Use your arms!" she shouted – she would not lose another girl here. "And if whatever is attacking us gets you – _yell;_ those around you I expect to come to your aid immediately!"

"We got it!" Sonya cried as she heard Artemis and Ella push the door open. As soon as the resonating _bang!_ occurred, Harriet beckoned for everyone to go past her without hesitation. The heat and light cascading upon them was unbearable, but she would take it for what it was worth rather than the perpetuating darkness that had engulfed them.

"Cover your heads!" Artemis's order rang out up ahead as the last few stragglers jogged past Harriet. She pretended she didn't notice the blood staining some of them as she got a hold of Frances before the girl had managed to dart past her.

"Any more?" she asked the girl. Frances shook her head and together the two caught up with Sonya who had one foot tapping against the staircase. Harriet found the girl's eyes momentarily shining with what she wished was not hope before she gave a curt nod towards her.

"Wait!" Frances held an arm out to both of them as a silver glob seemed to materialize from the ceiling. Harriet pushed herself to the front of their trio and grabbed the staff left behind by Wei; another name that was to be etched into her memory.

"No one move," she murmured as she raised it in front of her.

Then the glob suddenly gave a lurch and Harriet found Frances' scream piercing her ears as she swung the staff at the assailer. It sliced through the body in a clean cut but rather than fall apart, the two halves kept gunning for her two friends. Harriet didn't have the time to warn them, but luckily Sonya had the mind to push both her and Frances flat against the wall as the thud of the falling silver resonated throughout the otherwise silent corridor.

"You sticks okay?" one of the girls above called out. Sonya let out a noise of confirmation as they pushed through the final steps to rejoin the others.

"What the…"

Harriet found her thoughts mimicking Sonya's disbelief as the heat and brightness of the outside finally blazed upon her skin and eyes at full force.

"Welcome to hell," one of the girls greeted as the sound of a door closing came from behind her. Harriet grabbed the towel she had taken from the bathrooms and wrapped it loosely around and over her head. She looked about the assembled girls around her and noted that only thirty-one were standing among them. They had barely gotten through half of this barren wasteland and they has already lost six girls. _Six._

 _"_ There's a city ahead," Artemis marched up to her. She too, had managed to grab a towel earlier and was now shielding her face from both the sand and the heat. "There could be Cranks there," she added, throwing a glance behind her. Harriet followed her eyes, and to her shock, found that the six girls that had been taken, were mainly from the group of Runners. She frowned and patted the younger girl's back. She had already lost Wei, their reluctant Head, and she could only imagine the burden that Artemis had to take on after her death and the most recent losses that their group had gone through.

"We'll have to risk it but we'll be careful," the city would be unknown territory, and there was the possibility of Cranks, but they had a mission and that meant sacrifice. But if the red-eyed stares she was receiving was anything to go by, she would make sure that the sacrifice would be as small as possible.

"Gather any of the girls from the other groups that you think are able to match the speed the Runners usually go at. We're going to need your group to map this new terrain for us," Harriet ordered before heading to the forefront of their whole group.

She clapped her hands together and watched as all eyes rose to meet hers at varying speeds. "We're going to head through that city and make a place for ourselves," she announced. "I know we've lost a lot but you sticks gotta slick it up and walk it off or else their deaths will be in vain," she continued. "We are in the Scorch now and I will do everything I can to get us through this because this is not about us anymore – this is about _preserving everything and everyone we've lost._ They won't die unless we do. So slick it and _walk it off."_

And then she turned and began leading the way out as Sonya slowly let out a short but loud clap from her side. Said girl jogged up to match her pace and lent let out a low whistle. "That was good," she commented, wiping the sweat from her brown.

Harriet spared her a glance, the scarlet noses and puffed up eyes still prevalent in her mind. _No,_ Sonya was wrong. It wasn't good and it wasn't ever going to be good enough until the were truly at a untouchable haven.

* * *

The floor was cool beneath her bare feet as she padded through the empty hallway. There were no other doors around besides the ones she and Teresa had used to go in to their room and the one that led to the common one. However, nothing truly bothered her more than the fact that there were no windows in their end of the building. Having gotten a glimpse of the boys' side, she saw more than enough glass to hint her that there were at least six windows on their end give or take. Wei's hand landed flat against the double doors that led to the common room before sliding towards the handles. Giving an experimental tug, she was unsurprised to find them locked and let out a sigh. Despite having received a grand feast upon their arrival and getting a nice warm shower – she had not seen one bit of their rescuers since the meals had been handed out and even then the whole procedure was rushed. They had left before she could ask them about her family.

"Teresa –" Wei paused and blinked at the door. It was locked. Why would she have locked it? Was she changing? Did she forget about the attached bathroom?

Suddenly, the lights flickered. Wei looked about but no switch was to be found. "Teresa –" this time she pounded at the door. Something was happening or was going to happen, and she did not want to be out in the open while it was in occurence. The lights flickered on and off again and Wei almost found her body pushing against the door. "Teresa!"

The lights went out and a whimper squeezed itself past Wei's lips. Her body pressed against the door, she slowly slithered down onto the floor and cradled her knees close to her chest. _Steady breaths,_ she told herself, and then the doors on the far end of the hallway rattled as if someone was trying to push their way in. Wei's grip got tighter as her eyes blindly stared at the location of the double doors. They rattled again – she kept telling herself to relax. Then something pushed against them and Wei jumped to her feet. Her whole body was screaming at her to run, but this hallway was a dead end, their room was locked – the only place to go was at the end of the hallway; if anyone did decide to force their way in then she was trapped. She was already trapped.

Wei closed her eyes and curled back into a ball again. She wasn't going to run, but she also wasn't going to look death in the eye. One of the double doors creaked open and a pungent smell entered the hallway. It was a draft, barely strong enough to overwhelm her senses but it was there and Wei told herself not to gag.

But that would not be the end of the nightmarish realm she had entered. Screams. There were screams and incoherent mad ravings echoing into the hallway. Wei reached for the knob above her as one more attempt at safety but found it to be still locked. She wanted to cry but as her hand fell back down to her side, she found that the gnawing pit in her stomach was too distracting. She felt too unwell to let the tears out, to let herself break down. She reminded herself that she had gotten too far to let that happen.

Minutes flew by and not once did Wei move from her position. The stench never went away and the cries never faded. At this point, she was afraid they would imprint themselves into her mind, but then a hand landed on her shoulder accompanied with other footsteps.

Wei's eyes snapped open as she began moving away until -

" _– Teresa. Where is she? Why are you –"_

That was Thomas, freaking Thomas, and those were Newt and Minho right by him. She forced out a haggard breath as she slowly stood up. Minho took a few tentative steps towards her as Newt was forced to follow Thomas into their room. It was open again.

"You okay there?" he asked, but before she could answer, a yell cut her off. Wei and Minho traded looks before they both walked into the room Thomas had barged into. He and Newt were cornering someone and as she and Minho got closer she spotted a mop of familiar brown locks.

" _Aris,"_ she breathed out.

* * *

 **A/N** _Hope you liked it! Anyway, I'm deciding to slowly integrate and introduce all the new characters because not only will everyone get decent attention but it also won't seem rushed and appear like a flood of character introduction. Hope no one minds it. Anyway, The Scorch Trials will mainly follow the book because the movie was great but just no at the same time. If anything I'll be using their visualization of the landscape and buildings at most._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine._

* * *

 _"Don't run in a straight line!"_

The screen temporarily buzzed with static before the cameras focused on Group A again. The uncontrollable variable was running amidst the boys, telling them how to keep on going without getting caught by their malleable cannons. He would have been impressed if not for the fact that this was not supposed to happen; their survival rate had increased significantly since subject B10's addition to the group. Likewise, Group B's had severely plummeted.

 _"Tag her."_

* * *

They ran and ran, and not another casualty had befallen on them. For that, they were all thankful, but the painful reminder that this was just the beginning was agonizingly clear as Chuck leaned over his knees and let out the feast that they had all consumed just moments ago after being deprived of food. Besides him, their next youngest was about fifteen years old and ignoring Newt's limp, they also had three other crippled Gladers that had managed to survive the ordeal. The barren landscape that they had entered was vacant of any pressing Cranks, but, Minho shook his head, if worse came to worst then he doubted that those four would survive a prolonged run through this new trial.

He could save them some pain and scout ahead, but besides the city and the mountains – it was all open field. Getting an idea of the area would just put more pressure on their time constraint. He crossed his arms and decided he would shuck it and go with their half-schemed plan of just running through. They had twenty-five Gladers right now excluding Aris and Wei. He hoped that their numbers would suffice in dealing with any incoming trouble.

" _Hey, hey, guys!"_ it was the newbie that had replaced Teresa. " _Stay with me, Wei!"_ Minho kept his distance, but like the others, he got closer to the hunched over girl. She was on her knees with a hand slapped over her neck. Unlike him and Thomas and a few other select company, she hadn't received a brand on her skin.

"Move!" he heard her shout as her other arm pushed Aris back. Without any of their help, she wobbled back to her feet as her hand dropped from her neck. "I'm not dying you stick," she added with a half-hearted grin. Minho kept from rolling his eyes as Clint made himself present by the girl's side. Carefully, he pushed her dark locks over her shoulder and looked over the area that had been causing her pain.

"Well?" Newt called out from a few paces behind him. Along with Thomas and one other Glader, they had elected to stay back and keep a perimeter. "What do you bloody see?"

Minho saw the frown first before he heard his words.

"She has a tattoo now."

"What?" Wei's hand slapped back over her neck, as if she would be able to feel the words inscribed on her skin.

"But how?" the Aris kid questioned, and as if to answer him, a tiny beetle-like creature, not dissimilar to the ones that had monitored them back in the Glade, scurried down the girl's leg and disappeared into the sand. No one had time to react to it as Minho pushed past everyone else and uncovered the hidden tattoo. He could have been more gentle, he acknowledged, but to his credit, Wei only shot him a glare.

"What does it say?' he could have felt Newt's eyes from a mile away with the amount of curiosity brimming in his gaze.

 _The Target._

He mumbled the word as eye contact was established between him and Wei. He was confused, if not suddenly wary about her, but by her wide gray eyes - he knew that she had expected the reaction and possibly worst.

"If you could just say that just _a little bit_ louder, Minho," Newt began. "Some of us don't have super-enhanced hearing."

Minho let go of Wei's neck, _gently,_ this time, and shot a quick look at Clint before sauntering back over to the front of their group. "Nothing," he said, loud enough for probably even the Cranks in the city to hear. "Just a number and letter like everyone else."

The shucks around him seemed to take his lie without a doubt and huddled back into their respective cliques. Thomas shot him a look, but Minho wasn't going to address it as the klunkhead returned to Chuck's side. Clint, for all his intellect did for him, just gave him a subtle nod and kept close to Wei whose back was constantly being hovered over by Aris.

Whatever the _'_ target' meant, it would do no good for his group of shucks to know that she had been labeled as so by their captors. It was too vague of a term, but if he knew the boys around him, he knew better than to think that they wouldn't pass off the idea that she could possibly be Group B's version of Thomas. That was a conflict among the group waiting to happen in general, and he was going to avoid that. Also, Minho was above spilling blood unless threatened; Wei had kept them safe in that tunnel – she had contributed in getting them out of the Maze. She hadn't done anything else to lead him into thinking that she had intentions of betraying them. And if she did, well, he would cross that bridge when it came.

* * *

Artemis wasn't going to lie. The dilapidated buildings and cracked cement weren't as appealing as a blitz through the Maze. They had taken a break at the edge of the city, both too fatigued and wary of Cranks and the Unknown. Plus, they had to _kill_ someone. Despite it being for their survival, she couldn't see herself being able to do such a thing. And now she was to be the Head of the Runners tasked with rounding up new members to go scout ahead and to essentially, be cannon fodder for the unattractive unknown. She frowned mentally, but kept these ails trapped in her head as she visited the closest group of girls resting by her.

There were four of them, one was the Head of the Planters and another being an apprentice of sorts for the Head Chef. She probably could be their Head Chef right now however, if they had been returned to the Maze; their previous one had met her end in that horrifying tunnel.

" _Ella!"_ cue the fond exasperated shout as all eyes darted over to the tanned-girl stumbling back to her feet after climbing to the top of one of the few sand dunes that littered the outskirts of the city. Artemis and the group she came upon all turned their heads to see and hear the easy laughter slipping past the Head Builder's lips. Vaguely, they could already see the practiced excuse spilling past her mouth as she tried to justify her reasons for doing such a deed.

"She's adjusting to this well," observed their second, or well, now – _youngest_ girl. Artemis nodded in agreement as she looked about the group sitting around her. With a deep breath in and a long exhale out, she crouched down to their level and faced who she thought would be the easiest to cajole of the two prospective Runners in the group.

Dark green eyes met her own jade orbs with a quirked eyebrow. "Yes?" the girl asked. Her voice was soft, Artemis took that into note, as she decided to ignore the inquiring gaze of the others.

"I need you," she paused "To become a Runner."

The girl blinked once, and then twice, before her eyelids began fluttering and her eyes darting between her and the other girls amassed around them. " _M – me?"_

Artemis nodded her head. "Yes, _you,"_ she confirmed. "We need you, Amelia," she added. "Harriet's tasked me with gathering girls to help the leftover Runners map this new terrain."

"But _me?"_ she asked again, her eyes still large. "I'm just a cook, how could I? How would I? I –"

"I've seen you run from time to time, I'm confident that you will fit in perfectly well with the others, right, Beta?"

The dark haired girl blinked, as if she was returning from her thoughts, which knowing her, she most likely was. Frances let out her trademark high-pitched laughter as she nudged the girl. "Just nod yes," she said. So she did.

"What are we doing?"

Artemis smiled at the girl as she got up and dusted the collected sand off her cargos. "I'll explain later, after dinner. Just look for me then, okay?" she looked over at the still sputtering cook. "I expect to see you there too, got it?" and with that, she decided to throw the niceties aside and faced her other recruit. "Frances, I'll see you there too," and then she jogged off before the frizzy haired girl could realize that she was being serious. They were low in numbers. She needed all she could get.

" _Hey guys,"_ she plopped down in front of the next unassuming group of girls. Belatedly, she heard Beta's quiet voice speak up again to tell Frances that yes, Artemis had been serious.

When she had all but finished getting about four girls out of the thirty excluding herself, into her new group of Runners, Artemis found one corner not too far away from the small campfire one of the cooks had produced to rest at. But peace wasn't to last long as Harriet took the space by her.

"How did it go?" she offered one of the hotdogs they had managed to wrap up and save from their previous feast.

Artemis nodded her thanks as she took a bite out of it, contemplating over her next few words. "Seven," she swallowed.

"Seven new runners?" Harriet asked. The surprise and brave hope in her tone caused the food to temporarily lodge in Artemis' throat.

"Seven Runners in total," she corrected. The girl beside her sighed, and her shoulders visibly sagged as she munched on her own dinner.

"It's an odd number," she settled on saying. She stayed away from the obvious fact that their numbers in the Plain had been twice the amount Artemis had at the moment.

"I'll be an extra in one of the groups to keep any – _if any,"_ she quickly added. "Casualty numbers low."

Harriet nodded and stood up. "Well, you have my thanks for doing this," she was being sincere. "When are you leaving?"

It would be a mistake, or another factor against them as another distant howl echoed over their group of girls, but Artemis was going to do what she had to for their survival. Harriet and Wei would have expected no less from their dauntless group. "Tonight."

Harriet seemed to expect that answer. "We'll camp out here or delve further into that building," she nodded at the said, seemingly stable structure. "For one more night. I'll be expecting you all back the morning of or else we go on. It's a small time slot for something of this scale, but –"

"I understand," Artemis cut off, and added a hopefully easy smile to quell their leader's nerves. "We'll be there." 

With that, Artemis finished her meal, took four stingy gulps of water, and scoured for a secluded area she could hold her impromptu meeting at. It wasn't long before she found an adequate spot to bunker down in and for her girls to get the hint and flock towards her.

She got her experienced Runners first and waved the recruits to wait a few feet away. Even then, Artemis kept her voice low to evade as much eavesdropping ears as possible. Three girls stood by, waiting attentively for her next few words. "This run will be the biggest thing we do up to date," she began and licked her chapped lips. "Our job is to find the safest way through this city, okay? You see Cranks, you turn back. You see strangers, as in _any_ strangers, you turn back and find another way too okay? Don't indulge your curiosity," at this, she especially made sure to look at Beta, but the girl's eyes conveniently strayed away at the time. "If you're running low on anything – rest or turn back. It's not worth it." And then she stood up to call the recruits over. While nothing she said in particular was necessarily exclusive, she thought that her small monologue would spark a few of the nerves that the more jumpy girls had. It was best not to scare them so early on in the game.

"I'll be pairing you girls off with one of the seasoned Runners so you won't be running blind," she told them. "I'll tell you who your partners are when you all wake up later though, because we have about," she glanced at her watch. "Four hours before we run. Sleep well," and with that she stood up to make sure Harriet would be aware of their time of departure. But before she could approach the girl, the Head Builder cut her path off.

"Harriet told me," she paused as she took a breath in. "Harriet told me you guys were going to explore the great beyond," she smiled and pulled out the object she had been hiding behind her back.

"Th –thank you, Ella," she stumbled out as she took the bow in her hands. It wasn't as delicate as the one she had back in the Plain but it would do. The fact that the girl had even managed to find wood malleable enough to carve into a bow was a commendable feat in itself even without the short time she had to make it. "Really, thanks."

The girl waved the gratitude away and produced what appeared to be makeshift arrows. "I had some of the crew try and assemble some because what's a bow without arrows, right? We mostly shaved some planks of wood lying around the interior of that half-burned outpost we passed by, so they're not good but –"

"They're something," Artemis finished. They might not fly straight, but she could work with what she had. "Thank you again, Ella."

"Aw, slick it, Arty – you're making me blush."

* * *

 **A/N** _Hope you liked it! Shout out to Green Eyes Wander because I found myself using her character's perspective for Group B's portion, hopefully I did her justice - if not please feel free to tell me how I can improve upon her character. And up to now, i think I've given everyone at least a small part in the story except Ann who has a part later on in the plot. Like how I used Artemis in this chapter, I'm hoping to completely introduce everyone chapter by chapter so it's all fair. Also, I realized I haven't done a cliffhanger yet - well, there's no time like next chapter right? See you all then!_

 _Ps. Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far, they encourage me so much and are part of the reason as to why I update frequently, not only do I do it fast because I'm enjoying this story but because of all your responses as well. So thank you :)_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

Amelia was many things but among them she was not a Runner. Sure, she considered herself faster than average, but in no way did she have the steel to handle the things they did, to take the risks they took. Frances, the lanky girl beside her, appeared to be quite the opposite however. The two balanced each other out not only in size and personality, but in capability too. She could remember the day the girl had taken a brave try-out to be a Runner and how her face burned as she came out of the Maze a minute almost too late with bumps and bruises decorating her alabaster skin. The Head Runner at the time had sent her toward their Medics with Wei acting as her shadow. Yet here she was, still willing – still optimistic. Artemis had picked a fool and a coward. Or at least that's what she heard one of the more seasoned Runners say.

So why did Artemis pick them? They were the most unlikeliest of duos to survive whatever she was planning.

"I spoke to Ella," the said girl spoke up just as she had dismissed the last pair of Runner and recruit. "She suspects that there may be an underground sewer system below the city. If it's still there or is there at all, it is our job to look for it," she added. "Got your bags? Are we good to go?" she looked both of them over as if this was her way of giving them a chance to back out. Back out of what, Amelia wanted to know, but glancing back at the sleeping girls behind them – she nodded her head and fixed the older girl with what she hoped passed as a look of confident affirmation.

* * *

Although, the burst of false confidence quickly shattered apart as she felt the night watch's eyes weigh down on her. She could hear the echo of her thoughts perfectly clear; she was tiny, young, _how was she going to sur –_ – Artemis patted her back as she shot Frances a smile. "We have this, okay?"

Amelia hoped they did.

They began the night at a light jog with Artemis at the lead and Frances taking up the rear. They had been the only trio to be deployed, and Amelia hoped that was only because there had been more recruits than actual Runners. Not because they had been the ones that seemed the most likely to get in trouble.

As they got deeper into the city, Amelia swore she had seen a group flitter past a couple of buildings on their East, but Artemis either wasn't concerned about it or hadn't seen it as she kept leading them through the maze of burnt and broken structures. Behind her, she also heard Frances not-so-graciously save herself from a fall and had chosen to ignore that one. They were already being lucky with the lack of activity going on around them and the fact that both she and Frances hadn't managed to bodily injure themselves yet.

"There," Artemis readied the makeshift bow in her hands as she nodded towards a medium-sized grated sewer opening. One part of it seemed as if it had been forced open as rust crept up on the railings. "Any of you got a flashlight?"

Amelia shook her head in the negative and doubted that the moon shining above them would be enough to shed some light over the dark hole. Then suddenly, Frances came up from behind her and produced what appeared to be a small flashlight. She shook it a bit, forcing it to flicker on and off for a while before it finally remained lit and shone on a random part of the road that she had been pointing at.

Amelia cast a wary glance at the small circle of light. The shadows it created grew eerily long. "Here," Frances handed the object over.

"Hold it, flash it into the hole," Artemis ordered, and the girl did just so. They hadn't realized that they had all been holding a breath in until they saw that the drop was a fair way down, and that there weren't any bloodshot eyes staring back at them. From her side, Artemis muttered something indistinguishable under her breath as she slung the bow back over her back in exchange for a dagger she had stuffed down her boot. "I'll go down first," she finally said. "I'll need the flashlight but at any sign of danger I want you both to take a round around this building," she nodded at the one they stood by. "And the next one before sprinting back to camp. Just try to lose anyone following you first, okay? Don't wait for me , don't try to help me, and most especially, don't follow me down – _run. Just run."_

Amelia and Frances traded looks, but none of them jumped to contest her plan. If anything, Amelia felt her heart pounding against her chest and was surprised that the other two girls hadn't commented on it yet. But she forced herself to keep breathing and nodded her head just as Frances verbally agreed to the plan. It would feel wrong, leaving Artemis behind, but if it came to it, Amelia knew that she was right. They would be better out of her way than in it.

Satisfied with their answers, Artemis gave them another smile before she pried the loose section of the grating open and slowly lowered herself in. The action itself caused a loud groan to sprout off the old iron, but otherwise, nothing moved or made itself known them, so without another look at them, Artemis let go of her loose hold on the rim of the pavement and two seconds later, the girls heard an echoed collision before the flashlight flickered back to life.

Frances leaned back and let out a sigh. "That's it, then," she said, taking out her pack again.

Amelia cast another wary scan around their surroundings. The moon was directly above them now hinting that they were well into the night if they hadn't been before. She decided that it would be best for them to have a lookout. "What are you looking for anyway?" she asked.

Frances grinned at her as she unwrapped the object she had produced from her pack. The machete in her hand glinted the moon's light off its blade. " _This,"_ she swiped it experimentally before chucking the extra cloth back into her backpack. Amelia tugged at the strap of her own pack as if to confirm that it was still there. It was fortunate that WICKED had even let them keep the things they had gathered from their stay in the gym. Without them, the amount of food and supplies they would have been able to load would have been more limited. Briefly, she wondered if the group that they would be hunting down had gotten the same luck as them. Or if they had even entered the Scorch at all.

A small light shone on the horizon.

"Is that one of the girls?" Frances' voice could have been a whisper, and Amelia would have still heard it. But she wasn't focused on her or the two girls running at them with their flashlight throwing unnecessary beams at the buildings around. No. Her attention was on the small crowd trailing after the girls. She didn't have to see their faces to recognize who or to be more exact, _what_ they were. She turned to the older girl beside her, her hands suddenly feeling too small as they tugged on her sleeve.

" _Cranks,"_ she breathed out.

"What?" Frances asked as she took a step forward. Toward the girls. Toward the Cranks.

"Cranks, Fran," she cried, holding onto her ground to keep the Head Cook from getting any closer. They needed to go the opposite way, back to the other girls, but what about Artemis? What if they decided to venture down into the sewers? What –

"Frances! Move!" that was Michelle. _Michelle,_ who was a medic. Not a Runner. God, what were they doing here? What did they think they could do pretending to be Runners?

" _Cranks,"_ Frances seemed to snap out of her stupor and grabbed Amelia's hand. She kicked the grating that Artemis had pried open, back into place as she began leading them into the building that they were supposed to run around.

"Fran, we –"

"I know," the girl cut her off as she shattered the glass door and carefully stepped over the jagged remains. "But, we can't."

Amelia couldn't understand as she let the girl push through the abandoned furniture with her machete poised ready to hit anything that jumped out at them. Not a moment too soon after finding a staircase, they heard a scream. It was inhumane, but both girls knew exactly who it had come from.

" _Fran,"_ Amelia whimpered as she led them up the stairs. Each creak shot a shiver down her spine as she kept one hand clutched around the girl's sleeve. With the older girl taking the lead, she had been left to take up the rear, and that was enough reason for Amelia to break out into cold sweat. Keeping a steady rhythm of looking back and forth from the front then to the end of the staircase, she wondered where the Cranks were at by now as they ascended the staircase. If her heart hammering against her chest wasn't loud enough for the Cranks to hear, then the moaning steps would surely be the ones to draw their attention to them.

"We'll be okay," said girl whispered. "We can't do what Artemis said because we _can't,"_ she repeated, and Amelia finally understood what the girl had been getting at earlier. She understood that despite wanting to follow what the Runner had said, they couldn't because not only were they lacking in speed, but they didn't have the stamina as well. Or if they did, it wasn't equally dispersed. Amelia could probably outrun them, but not for long. Frances was the one who had that kind of stamina to carry her back, but not the speed to get her away from the Cranks. "Just stay close, and we'll wait it out."

"And the other Runners?" she asked. There hadn't been another scream following Michelle's.

"She'll be fine," they reached the third level of the building. The door was slightly ajar, and Frances gently uncurled Amelia's grasp on her before she pushed it open with the tip of her machete. It creaked, like everything else in the building, and so the girls waited with bated breath to see if anything would come out at them.

They counted to thirty before they heard the distraught moans and psychotic laughter trickle through the holes in the building. Amelia froze, but Frances managed to get them into the room well-enough to find what appeared to be a small janitor's closet to file into. She let Amelia go in first before she promptly closed the door behind her. There was no lock, so both of them settled into curling into a corner to wait out the worst of the night. Neither of them spoke, and somehow that was okay for Amelia. She focused on controlling her breathing instead and forcing herself to think about the Plain.

* * *

They had finally taken a break, and after reassuring Clint that she would watch her back from any curious eyes, she went over to the crouched boy. They had kept each other company since they had reunited, but taut was a better word for their current relationship. They hadn't conversed much back in the Plain, she had been too busy to give him more than the expected pleasantries and then when she did have time – _Screechers happened._

He had, however, managed to give her the bare necessities of what had occurred after her disappearance – their escape, how Beth turned traitor and got Rachel with a knife; their stay in the gym-turned-hotel, the separation, and then his arrival. What he didn't give her were what she needed – the names of who they had lost along the way. Another thing she noted was that he didn't even ask how she exactly fell either, so she assumed that he and the group had bought the lie Rachel had provided for them. But she didn't bring this issue up with Aris, as he looked like he had gotten a decent share of loss in the past days too with Rachel's death. Not that Wei could exactly be empathetic on that matter with him, but she gave him the smallest of sympathies that she had managed to muster.

As she got closer the boy, the screaming from earlier continued on.

"Aris," she approached the boy who, if not at her side, lingered by Newt and Thomas. The latter one was who he actually clung to, but it appeared that Thomas either always had Newt or Minho by his side since getting the tattoo – which brought on more unpleasant thoughts as she recalled the time the boys thought it be best to lock her up for two days while they discussed about how much they could trust her. Aris had surprisingly helped vouch for her name in the end.

The boy looked up, as if ready to converse with her until Newt signaled at them to quiet down. "Hear that?" he glanced between the two of them.

Aris turned his head, "No, wh –"

"Exactly," Newg cut off as he directed their attention at the figure hidden under the shadows of the building across of them. There were enough slight curves to tell her that it was a girl, and unconsciously, both she and Aris took a step closer to it. They traded looks and both registered that the other had the same idea that she could be one of their girls. Her family.

"Now, what is that bloody shank doing?" attention diverted back to the figure. They watched it disappear through the door with Thomas following. Newt placed his hands on his hips, but otherwise, made no notion to follow him unlike Minho. Said boy was grumbling under his breath as he stormed towards them. He didn't let any of them speak as he grabbed his makeshift pack off the floor and pulled out his knife.

"Let's go," he said, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. Wei shrugged just as Clint came up to her with her own pack in his hand. She gave him an appreciative nod as she tapped Aris on the shoulder.

"We have to talk later," she spoke. His head dipped in acknowledgement just as they reached the mouth of the building. Thomas stumbled out of it just as Minho looked ready to go in and drag him out.

"I saw Teresa," he announced, his eyes sparking.

Wei would have shared in his elatedness if not for the fact that she spotted the same feeling flittering past Aris's own dark orbs. Now that, was peculiar. He hadn't claimed to have known her during Thomas' initial interrogation but now her name had elicited some kind of deep familiarity within him? She was suspicious, but she decided that it would be in their best interest if she dug further into this peculiarity more before bringing it up.

* * *

Her chest heaving up and down, Annaleise kept her body as pressed as close as possible to the wall as the last few errant Cranks darted past her and into the next street. She wasn't safe, she wasn't even going to waste a thought on that false hope, but she was alone and for her, that was enough. Grabbing her dagger, she stuck out the blade from her corner and tried to gauge out the situation in the street she had passed. It was clear aside for the front half of a SUV. Annaleise knew she was small enough to curl under the dashboard to purchase some rest, but she was on a job. Artemis, Harriet, and the rest were counting on her to find them safe passage.

She could rest later, she decided, as the moon began to fade from the sky. She cast one more glance at the direction of the Cranks before going into a run. She remembered Michelle calling out to Frances before they had gotten her and seeing two figures dart into the nearest building afterwards. If her memory were to be any good, then she knew exactly where they had probably decided to hideout, and with the sun rising, it would be safer getting them out and back to the camp after her job was done. Because as much as she wanted to keep them safe, she felt especially obligated to get them a safe path out the city first because it had been her fault that Michelle had died. She was the reason why the girl got killed.

She had tried to warn her about the walkway. But curiosity was a greedy being and Annaleise had been so _sure._ She was wrong in the end, however, and for that, Michelle had to pay for her mistake with her own life. She had been guilty plenty of other times, but this was the cake. This was the biggest regret she was ever going to carry. And now, as the sun stretched out before her, she wondered if it came to it, if she was going to be able to tell Harriet and/or Artemis the truth.

"Beta!"

She raised her dagger, as if to throw it, but the body got to her first. Frances' locks whipped her in the face as she found the girl's stringy arms suffocating her. Gently, a smaller pair of hands began untangling their bodies. "You're safe," the girl said.

Annaleise remained quiet as Frances slowly got the hint and unraveled her body from hers. "You wouldn't believe what we found!"she exclaimed. The taller girl latched onto her wrist and Amelia's as she began tugging them back towards the area they had come from.

"Artemis is down there," Frances explained, pointing at the sewer gate. "She thinks that there may be a way through the city by using the sewer tunnels and look!"she brandished out a crumpled, yellowing piece of paper.

"It's a map,"Amelia added in as Beta kept her silence.

Frances seemed unaffected by it, however, and continued her talk, "A sewer map! It's blotchy in some parts but I think we can manage, a – and maybe we could get the girls here now or am I just rushing it –"

"Where's Artemis, again?" Annaleise cut off.

"Down." Supplied Amelia.

Annaleise paused and thought about it. While Frances was right in her plan being a bit reckless and sudden, she couldn't really see how it would hurt them that much. They would have to leave in small groups in order to avoid detection from the Cranks, but otherwise it seemed sound enough. Except, she could still recall Michelle's face and her failure to heed her warning. No, she wouldn't rush into things again.

" _Cranks."_

Dread was a horrible feeling. Slowly, both she and Frances looked towards the direction Amelia was looking at and spotted the small dust cloud approaching them with increasing speed. They could run – she turned to the older girl only to find her already shaking her head. "I can't," she mumbled, then shoved the paper map into her arms. _"Go,"_ she pushed her towards Amelia who was beginning to shake again. "I'm not fast, I'll hold you both back." She took out her machete.

Annaleise's face remained straight as she began backing up.

"B – but Fran! We could hide, you – what'll you do?" Amelia protested, taking a step closer to her.

"Down," and with that, she pushed open the sewer grating and dropped into it just as Amelia reached out for her. Annaleise frowned as she tucked the aged map into her pocket and took Amelia's hand.

"We gotta go," she said as she forced the girl to start walking. Soon, they were in a full out sprint, weaving between buildings and huge slabs of cement to lose the Cranks that had begun calling for them. Not once did Annaleise comment or let go of the trembling wrist in her grasp. Rather, she kept her lips tightly pressed together as they disappeared from their hunters' sight.

* * *

When Frances fell into the sewer, she thought she would be able to land as gracefully as Artemis. Her expectations didn't come into being, however, as instead, she felt her ankle throb steadily against her palm. She groaned as her gray eyes snapped open, trying to purchase some semblance of her surroundings. She had landed in the sewer, that much she remembered, but why did everything seem so… _gray,_ now? She looked up at the opening of the sewer to see that the sun was barely escaping through the railings. Had she fallen unconscious?

" _Rose! I swear I saw them?"_ Frances froze.

 _"She is not going back there! No food! No fresh meat!"_ A woman's voice, and then a chittering cackle. Had that been Rose? Frances rolled out of sight from the hole and pressed her body against a jagged wall. She forced her breathing to remain relaxed as her eyes tried looking for the machete she had brought with her.

 _"Noses! Rose likes noses!"_

 _"Fresh noses, she likes!"_ More laughter. _Where was her machete?!_

 _"They have fresh noses, down there! Buried treasure!"_

 _"No!"_ the woman screeched and what probably was a small fight ensued after as Frances heard the unmistakable sound of flesh beating on fresh and –

 _"My nose!"  
"Rose!" _

_"Dead men tell no lies!"_ the woman had spat. Frances knew she spat because through the meager shafts of light, she spotted what appeared to be half a nostril falling to the floor.

 _"She wants to go."_

Frances had stopped breathing as the scuffling ensued and a dismembered finger joined the nose on the ground. But the telltale signs of feet dragging themselves away from her position soon followed after, and she breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear a thud echo into her ears. _"Art – Artemis?"_ she ventured She turned around to look behind her, but the same abyssal darkness there, and she soon realized that she was virtually fresh meat with her lack of machete and sense of direction

" _Fran?"_

Said girl's shoulders visibly relaxed as she found the Runner slowly approaching her battered and bruised but still _safe._ However, as she made steps towards her, she found herself stopping midway as she noticed that Artemis herself, had halted in her own tracks and that her face failed to relay the same feeling of happiness or even relief at finding her.

"Artemis?" she repeated.

Her green eyes had never looked so dark before.

 _I'm sorry,_ she mouthed. Artemis didn't even speak it, because before both girls knew it, a flash of silver reflected off both their eyes as a thin red line spread across the Runner's neck.

* * *

 **A/N** _: Hoped you liked it! More characters! Please tell me how I did on them! Anyways, this was 6 pages of fun, and I told you all I would do a cliffhanger this time! Next one will be out either tomorrow or Monday before I take a snooze and have my keyboard fixed. There's no new announcements besides that, so see you all in the next one!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

 _Four._

That was how many hours Minho had given the boys to sleep, but both he and Wei had been awake for two of those hours, and if the designated Leader had an inkling of an idea of the extra pair of eyes that stayed open that night, he made no move against it. Wei, for all her knowledge, knew that she should have sought out some rest, but sleep was a stranger she had kept away as the sight of those mutilated humans, (C _ranks, they had called themselves,)_ haunted her with each second she spent in the dark confines of her mind.

Beside her, Aris had lay soundless, asleep, and ignorant to the storm brewing inside his companion's head. Another thing that had kept her awake that night were the lifeless eyes of Lucy. He had finally given her the names of those that they had lost along the way, or at least the ones that he could remember. A part of Wei withered at the sound of their names, but hearing Lucy's had taken the most out of her. She had been close to the little girl and had been the one person to keep her going when she had begun losing hope in finding a way out.

To know that WICKED had simulated the same events that she and the Gladers had gone through made her wonder if Lucy could have been alive still right now if she hadn't been separated from the group; she had saved Chuck at the cost of Rachel and Lucy. A part of her wondered if it was so wrong of her to wish she could have saved her rather than him.

"You okay?" Clint nudged her out of her thoughts. Wei glanced at him and then at the barren, winding road in front – she nodded in response, not trusting her voice not to crack with the parchedness settling in her throat. And as if agreed upon, they cast their eyes at Aris, who had taken to sharing his sheet with Thomas. The two had been quiet as far as Wei noticed, exchanging small talk that appeared one-sided with Thomas' clipped replies.

Beyond them, Wei narrowed her eyes. "Clint," she tugged on the boy's sleeve. "Do you see that?" she pointed at the carcass-like figure stumbling towards their group. Newt and the others up front seemed to finally notice the body as well as they all collectively stopped. However, rather than reply to Wei, he tugged her hair out of the makeshift bun she had created. She gave him a look for that, but made no other move to contest him.

"Looks like their sending Thomas," he spoke as said boy went up to the straggler. The whole group around them broke into hushed conversations as anticipation seemed to build up among them. Then all of a sudden, Wei found herself staring at the sky – dark clouds were quickly rolling in.

"Clint," she held out a hand as the boy instinctively made a move towards the fallen stranger. Just in time, Minho called out to them to start walking again. "I think there's going to be a storm," she said just as a crackle of lightning hit the ground behind their group.

"Run!" she in unison with Minho yelled, and as a whole, the group sprinted for the nearest building of the city. Wei jumped over the stranger that had fallen as they got closer towards the edge of the city, and temporarily found her eyes scanning for the short boy she had saved just a few days ago. Surprisingly, Chuck was keeping pace but Wei knew better that the boy would slowly lose speed with the distance they had left to cover. Glancing over to her right, she found Clint keeping pace with her and so she beckoned him to come join her in her plan. Together, the two sped up and scooped Chuck's arms around both their shoulders. The boy wasn't even touching the ground anymore at this point and simply had his feet flailing in the air.

"My pack!" He shouted. A boy screamed to her far left just as another glare of thunder blinded her vision and Wei furiously shook her head. They couldn't afford to turn back even if it was for supplies. It was too risky. The weather was not something they could escape, and definitely not something she could protect anyone from.

"Minho!" Belatedly, Wei realized that the writhing figure on fire that they had passed was the said Runner, and despite her body calling her to turn around and help, Clint was already there, shoving her through the door that Aris had broken open. She stumbled to find her footing as Chuck was still half-hanging onto her but despite all her attempts to fight against the momentum, they still ended up falling onto the dusty ground.

By the time Wei had shaken off the extra adrenaline that had blurred her senses, she noted that the storm was still raging outside but that all the boys seemed to have finally gotten in. All the ones who made it at least, she assumed as she noticed the lack of three or four boys. She froze in her attempt to arise from the ground once she heard Newt say the casualty number aloud to answer Minho's question.

When her eyes landed on him, she rose at once as she noticed the burn marks on his skin. Parts of his clothes seemed to have melded into his wounds and Wei found herself cringing as she dug through her pack and approached him. It was by pure instinct that her body was operating the way it was. Having been a Runner, she knew injuries and how to treat them like the back of her hand. It had been a mandatory medic class that the previous Head Runner had made every new Runner take because the things that could happen in the Maze were numerous, and help did not exist.

" _So treat your injuries as soon as you get them or you're screwed," she shoved the first-aid kit into her arms. "Show me what you can do, stick."_

"What?"

Wei blinked as Minho's brown eyes stared at her. She looked down and noticed that she had his arm in her hands with a water pack tucked into her arm. She blinked again as the boy and, she noted, everyone else, stared at her.

"You're burned," she mumbled, refusing to let the eyes get to her. One of her hands let go of his arm as she used the other one to uncap her water and pour it over the bubbling wound. While this meant that she would thirst earlier than the rest, it would also mean that they would be saved the trouble of losing their leader to infection.

Minho hissed at the contact just as everyone shouted and something heavy dropped behind her.

* * *

Ella's breathing came out haggardly as she and a few remaining builders plus others pushed against the door barring them away from the Cranks. They had woken up in the morning to the shrill scream of a girl as a Crank had taken to petting her hair before tugging a huge chunk of it off her head. By then, two more of its companions jumped out from behind the stone they were lurking behind of as the rest of the girls clambered to their feet, scrambling to take out the makeshift spears they had managed to make the previous night before.

Harriet had been beside her then with a war seeming to rage inside her head as she stared at the unmistakable figures of a few more Cranks in the horizon and the blood oozing out of the girl's head. The wounded ex-Planter made the decision for their leader in the end as she screamed for them to run. They did, and Ella only forced her eyes away from their girl when two spears managed to hit the Crank's advancing partners.

She hadn't looked back since.

But now, they had caught up with them and while they still had their weapons, they were lacking in courage. They had the numbers to overwhelm the maybe fifteen banging against their makeshift doors, but these people were insane – cannibals even – and frightened them.

"You got the shields?!" an echoing thud later, and Ella found her sides flanked by a few of the girls with wooden doors pried off of the surrounding furniture and rooms around them. Behind them were Planters with grief in their eyes and vengeance in their hands as they raised their spears and pointed it towards the doors that Ella and her group were furiously trying to keep close.

"Move back, on three, okay?" came Sonya's easy voice as she joined them with her own makeshift shield.

"Builders! Fall back and gather in a circle!" Harriet called out from somewhere further into the room. Ella nodded and as Sonya reached the number, she quickly scurried back and found herself enclosed in a circle surrounded by girls with wooden shields. The Cranks were ferocious however, and she found herself cringing with every body hurled at the them. She grabbed her spear and thrust it through the small crack in their defense. To her horror and satisfaction, it sunk into one of the Cranks, and as she pulled back, she spotted the body falling lifelessly to the ground.

"Push back!" Harriet shouted as more girls around her did the same. More bodies hit the floor. The Cranks still kept coming.

 _"Got you!"_ a girl screamed from behind and Ella turned to see a Crank had gotten smart and dropped to the ground – his hands reaching and locking onto one of the girl's ankles. Ella maneuvered through their tightly condensed group and shot her spear down on the Crank's wrist. It hissed and let go and suddenly, Ella found herself trembling as more of their group found themselves trapped in the same situation as the girl she had just saved. _Was this it?_

Her ears perked, searching for directions from either Sonya or Harriet to keep her mind moving and distracted, but it appeared that neither girl had anything to say as the sound of pierced flesh and distraught screams flooded her ears.

But then the swift sound of what could only be an arrow whizzed through the air and suddenly, the Crank that had been pounding itself against the wooden shield in front of her and the girl holding it halted. More sounds of arrows being nocked and released soared through the air after until nothing but silence and labored breaths occupied the air. The girls holding the shields up visibly sagged as one of them dropped it.

" _Beta,"_ Harriet whispered as the short girl appeared through the corpses, but she wasn't alone. Next to her was a taller girl with a bow held in her hand. _Their savior._ Ella let out a breath but never dropped her spear as the other shields dropped to the ground.

"I have a way out," Beta announced, albeit softly as Harriet walked to meet her midway. And then came the other girl and silence fell upon the group. Ella stepped closer, curious but wary of the newcomer.

"And you are?" Sonya asked from ahead of her.

She had big blue eyes and dark hair.

"Teresa," she said, and then,

"I'm your way out."

* * *

 _"Where did we get those from?" she asked. She had the thickest accent and the most curious mind of all._

 _"The ones that sent us," Frances continued tending the nearby vegetables. "They came with the newbie before you."_

 _"What are they called?" Lucy asked, her golden eyes blazing with wonder. The older girl smiled, and that was her mistake, her tool slipped and cut her hand as her attention switched over to the girl and not her work. Lucy darted to her side, cradling the bleeding hand with care._

 _"Cypress flowers," Frances mumbled as both girls watched the blood rivulet across her palm._

"They stand for mourning," her voice distant. The body beside her stirred but she paid it no heed as she kept her attention directed at the corpse by her feet. Dead. The Crank was dead. She killed him.

She killed a person.

"Mourning," she repeated, drawing her knees closer to her chest. She wanted to disappear. She had killed a man! She had smashed his head against the ground until the former gave way and there was nothing but blood and brains on her hands. She was stained – a murderer – a –

" _Fran?"_

She shrunk away from the figure hauling itself to sit up.

"Fran," Artemis gently stretched out a hand to pry the girl's palm off the floor. She had been rubbing it ever since she had killed the Crank, scrubbing the blood off and skinning her own palms in the process. "We have to go, Frances." She wasn't going to bring up the deed at all. Both girls knew what happened and despite the fact that the girl had saved both their lives, she wasn't going to bother and fight the thoughts rampant in the girl's brain. She could empathize, but she didn't think Fran wanted words right now; only time would give her comfort.

"C- can't, sta – stained," said girl stared at her palms, causing Artemis to pay attention to them too. They were raw and bloody but that wasn't due to her kill anymore. Artemis tugged on her sleeve and ripped a strip off each one. She took Frances' palms and wrapped them with her makeshift gauze. As she did so, the girl stared at the own cloth wrapped around her neck.

The cut was superficial. Not deep at all. The intention hadn't been to kill when the machete was dragged across her neck – but, Artemis consciously turned her head, willing her hair to cover the blatant mark.

"We have to go," she repeated, pushing herself to her feet. She cringed as she tried to take a step and frowned as the recognizable ache of a sprain shot through her ankle.

Frances poked it.

Artemis leaned against the wall as she bit down a scream. "Broken," Frances murmured. Artemis looked down to see her digging through her pack. Her eyes were still glazed, but she appreciated that she was out of her frozen stupor at least.

"Lean on me," the girl quietly added as she wrapped her ankle with a cloth tightly, It wasn't much, but it would soften any possible blows at it and keep the movement as restricted as possible. Fran stood up just as Artemis fumbled the flashlight on and shot it at the machete discarded in the corner. Most of the blade had been broken off, leaving a jagged edge akin to that of a small dagger. Frances made no move to get it, but Artemis knew better than to leave it behind.

She bent down and picked it up, handing Frances the flashlight as she let her arm drag across the lanky girl's shoulders.

The two stood up a bit awkward at first but once they got their footing, they were off. There was no point of leading the other girls down here, they realized, and there was no way back up from the way came down at their end of the hole.

A creak and tremble made them pause. Fran shone on the light at the direction of the shaking. "Keep moving," Artemis spoke quietly, and then, as an afterthought, added, "Turn off the light."

* * *

 **A/N:** _I lied, sorry! So today's the day I'm having my computer fixed and the ETA of getting my computer back is probably a week at the I'll type what I can on my makeshift tablet/laptop but as of now, temporary break ok? Hope you liked it and see you guys in the next chapter!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

They had been eating in one second and then in the next, all Wei could remember was the sound of an explosion and a body hitting and landing on top of hers. Her ears were ringing, but through the noise, she managed to make out Jorge's shouts for them to move and get up. If only she could. The body on top of hers was larger and heavier, and while she was already ready to go, the person covering her was still out of sorts.

But then they groaned and some weight finally slid off her, letting her move around and back to her feet. However, before she could get reacquainted with her surroundings, she felt a rough pair of hands slide under her arms and drag her up before pushing her towards the direction of other disoriented shouting and fleeting footsteps. The boys were running – _run,_ she had to run. Everything around her was still a blur of grays and blues, but she still forced herself to run. The winding tunnel seemed endless and the stairs that they used to get out seemed longer than before, but Wei kept on going, following the direction of the voices and pattering feet.

And then bright sunlight.

She shielded her eyes just as she came to a stop before a hunched over body. Dazedly, she walked around it before stumbling across her own feet and feeling another arm keep her up.

"You okay?" she blinked.

Newt.

Wei nodded her head and after giving her disposition a brief overlook, Newt nodded more of to himself than her before letting go and calling out for Minho and the others. There was a terse reply that she heard after and before she could start focusing on things again, Wei found Newt patting her back and telling someone – _Aris –_ to go ahead. The boy who apparently had been by her nodded, and gently led her body to speed up to a sprint again as their group followed Jorge away from his crowd of Cranks.

"Clint?" she mumbled as they turned a corner.

She felt the boy's eyes on her but otherwise, made no comment. She just needed to know if her friend was safe. "Fine," Aris replied. Then added, "Are you okay?"

Wei's eyes were still adjusting to the light, and her ears were still ringing but the – "Fine," she repeated.

She would be fine.

* * *

Maneuvering through the dark proved to be a task not too difficult as Artemis kept them close to one of the walls, following its dips and curves in hopes of finding a new way out. It obscured their sight but amplified their other senses as her ears perked with every quiet echo that emanated from the hidden corners and crevices of the underground sewer. In actuality, despite having Frances by her side, helping her amble along the way, she still felt alone. The awkward yet warm girl was lost and in her place resided hushed whispers of the same few words she had spoken since her kill; _stained, murder, mourning._

Artemis stopped as her foot kicked something aside and her arm lost contact with the wall. Slowly, she swept her new dagger around in an attempt to rediscover the wall, but her action was futile. The sound of a muted conversation and a fluorescent beam of light was approaching them and she quickly pulled them back into the way that they had come from – pushing their bodies against the wall on Frances' side as the chattering and light came closer. The newcomers, Artemis gathered, consisted of a girl and a boy now quickly arguing about the sound that had echoed from behind them.

Suddenly, she felt Frances' grip on her waist tighten as she tugged on her shirt. She was about to pry her hold off of her until the unmistakable sound of a pair of labored breaths sounded from in front of them.

 _"Rose took my nose, I suppose."_

The voice sent a new wave of chills down the girls' spines as the duo from earlier shouted and began running away. A breeze drifted past Artemis and Frances as well, indicating that there had been Cranks behind them, possibly arranging an ambush until the new duo came in and darted away.

Artemis fixed her hold on her dagger as the uproar of maniac tittering and hollers disrupted the previously silent atmosphere. "Turn the light on," she told Fran, as she began leading them towards the direction of the noises. She didn't hear it but she did feel the casual _whoosh_ of the air as the girl's head shook in the negative. The yelling was fading but as they moved, the distance from them only got smaller; they had stopped. The newcomers were either caught or dead.

" _Frances,"_ she said. "We have to help."

"St – stained," the girl stuttered out as her feet too, dug into the ground, leaving them stuck in the middle of some new corridor. Then the ghastly giggling started again and Artemis, found herself attuned to the Cranks' conversation rather than the stubborn brunette in front of her. She discerned their words too late, however, as something heavy ran into her back causing her to tumble to the ground in a mess with Fran letting out a scream as her hand twisted in the fall. Artemis gritted her teeth as she breathed in the putrid smell of the Crank on top of her. In return, it took a sniff at her, its cold nose burying itself against her scalp. The sound of a different fight ensued somewhere farther beyond them just as another pair of feet ran towards them, only to trip over the tangle that Artemis and Fran were in.

" _Meat! Fresh meat!"_ it was a woman, flailing above them and pushing the other Crank's body against her as she tried to clamber away from their heap of bodies. Underneath her, Fran remained uncharacteristically still and quiet as Artemis fought against the tormenting Crank that was snapping its teeth at her in a mocking fashion.

"Fran, help me!" she hissed as she managed to wiggle her other arm somewhat free and plunge the dagger it was holding into the body on top of her. The Crank, a man, wailed as he instantly pushed himself away and off the body pile, slamming the woman that had been on top of them all against the wall.

 _"Blood!"_ he screamed.

" _Meat!"_ the woman followed.

Artemis rolled off of Fran and pushed her own body against a wall, heaving and digging through her other boot for a real dagger that she knew was stowed away there. The man's bellowing increased in volume as the sound of what could only be flesh ripping resonated in the death chamber that they were in. Artemis squeezed her eyes shut as she held the dagger closer to her chest and awaited for an assailer to come nearby. Her ankle was throbbing now, feeling hot against the makeshift bandage wrapped around it, as she waited for the attack that was sure to come.

" _My ear!"_ the man was crying, but then a beam of light finally flashed on and blinded both him and Artemis as what could only be the newcomers from before entered the fray of the fight.

Artemis only managed a glance at them, a teenage boy and girl, before she spotted Frances' blotchy tear-stained face. She lay supine on the ground quietly mouthing indiscernible words.

 _"Meat!"_ Artemis' eyes widened in shock as the crazed woman threw herself onto Frances' frozen body. Her whole mind was screaming at her to move and so she did, by throwing herself at the woman too, and together, they rolled away from France's form – tangled once more.

The newcomers that had arrived at the scene were battered themselves and facing the man in a frenzied dance of prey and foe.

"Meat!" the Crank woman continued to shout, suddenly rolling herself on top of Artemis. The light that had previously encapsulated them was shaking all over the corridor at this point, and try as she might, Artemis was unable to purchase a good enough sight of her attacker in order to land a punch in – but even that option was taken out of her disposal as the Crank pinned both her hands down.

"Fran!" Artemis yelled just as the female stranger yelled and a body thudded next to hers. It was the girl; dark cropped hair and all with a gash running across her forehead.

The boy called her name, Brenda, it was, before he too huffed at the hits that the Crank was landing on him.

" _My meat,"_ the woman above her purred, rubbing her cheek against Artemis'.

The boy newcomer let out a yell as what sounded like teeth smashing against steel echoed in the corridor. "Hey!" he shouted. Artemis' one eye squinted open, but the light was shining at Frances' still body and nothing else. "Hey!" he repeated.

 _"Hush your meat!"_ the Crank above her growled.

"The girl on the –" the sound of flesh hitting pavement cut off his voice. " – ground! Help us!" he forced out.

But Frances was still frozen, and the Brenda girl by her was unconscious, or so she hoped she was – that was a lot of blood oozing from her wound – as far as she knew, they were in a hopeless situation unless one of them managed to get out of their own positions. Artemis stared at the woman frantically throwing her gaze at some shadows, and curled her legs up to her chest before kicking them against the body hovering over her. To her credit, the woman didn't scream but she did tumble off of her and that was all Artemis needed. Rolling away from the Crank, she dove towards Fran's prone body and pried the flashlight off her hands before turning and swinging it in time to hit the rejuvenated woman's head. A loud crack filled the air as her body hit the ground.

The other grunt distracted by her collapse, was too – tackled to the ground. "Hit him!" the boy shouted, and in the dim light, Artemis made out the words tattooed on the back of his neck. She only hesitated for a moment though before she quickly brought her boot-clad foot down on the Crank's head; he too, fell unconscious and all that was left were four teenagers barely holding onto life.

Artemis forced herself to walk back towards Frances and gently pushed her to sit up.

"Is she dead?" the boy called out. Artemis shook her head as she forced her breathing to return to normal.

Quietly, she cajoled her to open her eyes. They were puffy from crying but they were focused on her unlike before.

"H – how about her?" she stumbled out, tenderly poking her ankle. An involuntary hiss escaped her lips.

The boy hesitantly knelt by the unconscious girl and splayed his palm over her nose. Seconds ticked by with no reply.

Artemis flashed her light at the sudden murmurs reverberating from the way they came in. There were more Cranks coming their way.

"I'm Artemis," she quickly said, shining her light back at the newcomers. The boy stared at her, almost disbelievingly, before he nodded his head.

"Thomas," he managed to get out before Artemis spoke again.

"Well, Thomas – there's more of them coming," she nudged the nearest Crank by her with her foot. "We have to move."

"But Brenda –" he looked back down at the girl by him.

"We can't," Artemis swallowed as if something was lodged in her throat. "She'll weigh us down," she continued, ignoring the intensity in Thomas' eyes. The footsteps and whispers were getting louder now, and Frances' own murmurs began again. Artemis turned her attention towards the girl and coaxed her to get back her feet. Mechanically, she did and even went as far as to go as to help the other girl back to her own feet – taking in the weight that she couldn't carry herself.

Artemis gave Thomas one last look as the Crank she had knocked out began groaning.

"But Brenda," he repeated, giving the girl an imploring look, as if she was even awake or alive to witness the desperation seeping out of it. Artemis beckoned for Frances' to start walking – she already had her answer.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _Written on a tablet so I apologize for some slip-ups! And now, we are slowly coming to a close with the Scorch Arc! Fun times ahead, death ahead too but what can we do. I'll let you all know how far away we are from TDC when I figure things out. But I hope, as usual that this was okay! Now for some replies to people who I couldn't PM:_

 ** _:_** _Thank you! Time or in this sense, words fly by when you have fun I guess? Great new chapter by the way!_

 ** _Guest:_** _No harm done - quite the opposite actually! I appreciate you pointing it out, and I understand how your interest is more geared towards Group A. I'll surely watch myself for the sake of future chapters, but the two groups will soon mesh anyway towards the end of the Scorch Arc so there's that new balance to figure out...but I'll cross that bridge when I get there! Thanks for reading!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

They had been running for about three hours, making no breaks or slowed paces to relieve the gasping and furiously sweating members of their group as they drifted in and out of buildings to lose their pursuers that had long given up on following them. But Jorge was a paranoid man and he wanted to get them as close as possible to the mountains before sundown. The worry over his companion, Brenda, didn't even exist in his quick gait and dark eyes as he kept calling for the others to keep up. Don't stop. Just run.

Wei was getting tired of that word, and if her calves were anything to go by – so was her body. The Maze had been one thing, but this was something completely new. Heat coupled with no rest and little provisions – she would die from running first before she would be even given a chance at getting the cure. And even then, she wondered if that even existed.

"Water for your thoughts?" Clint had been her unfailing companion since she found herself trapped with the boys of Group A. Somewhere in between the danger and the losses, they had formed an unshaking bond; that or he had just a natural inclination to help others; Wei preferred the former thought though as she gladly took the pack from his hand. With the discipline only a Runner could have, she forced herself to take four sparing gulps before handing it over.

Clint shook his head. "It's Minho's," he said to clear the furrowed eyebrows etched onto her forehead.  
"I think it's the klunkhead's way of saying thanks for treating his wounds."

"But you helped too," Wei reasoned, capping the water pack. She threw one inconspicuous look over the group before her eyes locked onto the built back of the Runner.

"Yeah, but it's my job," Clint chuckled and patted her back. "You should return it."

Wei looked down at her legs, then back at him. Clint rolled his eyes and took the water pack to her glee. "Tell him I said thanks," she smiled, waving him goodbye.

Clint let out a huff before shaking his head and marching off to the Runner. Her eyes remained glued to him and watched the interaction develop between the Medic and Runner only to see that their eyes turned to return the contact - Clint motioned her to come forward as Jorge moved to join the duo as well.

Grudgingly, she rose and came over. "Yes?"

"These _hermanos,_ tell me you run?" Jorge spoke instead of the two boys. Wei turned her attention to him and nodded. "We need scouts for tonight," he gestured at two boys already organizing their packs at the edge of their group. "Fast ones."

"I'll do it,"she didn't hesitate. Sleep wasn't going to visit her again, anyway, so she might as well do something, she decided.

" _Si,_ you –" 

"No, no, _wait,"_ Minho raised a hand as he fixed both her and Jorge a glare. "I don't care if she's fast or the second best runner this Scorch has ever seen," he pointed a finger at her. "She's useless if all she's gonna do is drop dead in the middle of a run."

"Second best, eh?" Newt took the only vacant seat by Minho.

Wei shook her head. "I'm not going to 'drop dead,' I can do it," she argued.

"Listen, _Greenie,"_ Minho began.

" _Wei,"_ she cut off. "My name is Wei."

"Well, _Wei,_ " Minho drawled out. "You're just the new girl who's going to slow me down, okay?"

"Who do you think you are?" she huffed, she was not going to let herself dragged further into the argument. He had just thrown the gender card – they were supposed to be above that; "I can run with or without you," she settled and with that, she stormed off to where the other Runners were prepping. While she knew that her outburst was unwarranted, Wei refused to turn back and apologize. She reasoned that her aggravation was due to Minho's blatant insult on her gender but deep down, she recognized that his 'concern' was probably brought upon the fact that she hadn't slept since their escape – and if she knew anything about what she looked like at the moment, she was confident that the bags under her size were prominent enough even to the most blind eye out there. So maybe he was right to voice it out, but as Wei settled down on her rock, she kept to her decision of scouting for the night.

Jorge approached her and she warily watched him make a seat beside her. He grinned at her reproving gaze. "I come in peace, _hermana,"_ he teasingly raised his hands up in mock truce. "You reminded of Brenda back there," he added, nodding off to Minho and his cluster of boys. Despite not seeing his face, Wei could still spot by the red tinge to his ears and the mirth in his companions eyes that he was still fuming over her little explosion.

"When do you think she and Thomas will find us?" Wei settled on asking. She watched as the older man titled his head up to the darkening sky, traces of nostalgia crinkling the creases of his eyes.

"You are sure it is her and not us who will find them?" he retorted.

"She's a _girl,"_ she replied, earning a smile from him. "Her sense of direction is probably miles better than Thomas'."

" _Gracias, hermana,"_ Jorge nodded his head. "But the Scorch has taught me to never dream."

"Then don't dream," Wei crossed her arms. "She will get back to us somehow, that I'm sure of."

Jorge stood up and dusted the sand that had accumulated over his pants. He shrugged towards the direction of the Keeper of the Runners. "What sort of nightmare keeps you up, _hermana?"_ he stared at her. "That boy over there wasn't judging your gender," he said as Wei kept her silence.

She looked at Minho again and found that his shoulders less tense and shaking with laughter. "I know," she quietly replied. Jorge's following chuckle startled her to look back at him.

"He needs to know his place, _si,"_ he spoke, taking out a dagger and a half-filled water pack from his pocket. "But do not sacrifice your life for pride," he handed the two items to her.

Wei nodded her head in gratitude. "I won't."

* * *

 _Amelia practiced multitasking and fighting off the temptations of sleep by keeping a lookout at the sewer entrance Frances and Artemis had disappeared through during the past twenty-four hours and memorizing the map of the underground tunnels. She was currently situated in a building on the opposite side of the sewer opening, hidden away on the rooftop of a building with nothing but an almost empty pack, a knife, and a ration of food and water that would last her for two more days if she was careful enough with it._

 _From her peripheral, she spotted a group of girls - her girls, coming through an alley and making way towards her building. One girl, in particular, stopped and looked directly at her direction. Amelia got the hint and shrugged off her thin sweater to wave it in the dry air._

 _Collectively, the girls hurried their pace and she was soon joined by everyone again and a new face._

 _"Who is she?" the new girl asked – Amelia's eyes instantly shot down as she slowly felt the blood rush up to her face._

 _"Amelia," she heard Harriet introduce. Then quickly, she was by her side, tilting her head up. "Mel," she spoke, relief pouring out of her single nickname. The said girl reciprocated the feeling with a tentative smile as she reached over to hand the map back over to her. But before Harriet could take it, a pale hand had already snatched it from her grasp._

 _"This is it," the new girl muttered, then turned to walk back to the mass of girls._

 _Amelia's dark green eyes clouded and she looked over at Harriet. "That's Teresa," she explained, and the she continued on to talk about the separate Maze and a Group A full of boys – their target, their way out._

 _"Has Wei?" her voice trailed off. While all the girls knew that the girl had been snatched up by a Screecher due to Rachel's explanation, some part of her like the others, wondered and hoped if she had somehow made it through. She had been a warrior among them – albeit somewhat blunt and calloused, but a warrior nevertheless that had helped numerous of them during their time in the Plain._

 _"She never mentioned another girl in her story," Harriet shook her head. An alarm slowly went off in her head._ Story? _Amelia stared at the older girl; did she not completely trust Teresa?_

 _Attuned to her intuitive gaze, Harriet spared her a small smile. "She claims to know how to get us out, how to get our target – and we'll follow her until she proves that she has other motives than herself and us get out."_

 _Amelia nodded her head. That, sounded much better, she thought. It wasn't intrinsic for Harriet to easily let someone take leadership, but now that she made her plan clear – it made better sense._

 _The new girl, Teresa, turned to them. "We're using a farther entrance," she announced. "The one by us is too open. It'll be too dangerous to use it."_

 _Beside her, Harriet nodded in affirmation while Amelia sought out Beta's eyes in the crowd. Frances and Artemis had taken that route. She was about to voice this to Harriet until Beta shook her head at her. Amelia frowned, they couldn't just leave them, right?_

"What's bothering you, little one?" Amelia's eyes shot over to the taller girl waiting to enter the sewer beside her and saw the iconic braided brown hair first before Ella's face. She easily smiled down at her.

"I'm," she paused. "Nothing."

The tilt of Ella's lips dropped by a tiny fraction as she turned her full attention towards the girl. "Come on, what's it gonna take? A few more life threatening experiences for you to trust me?" she wondered aloud.

Amelia's eyebrows furrowed and Ella immediately took two steps back in her approach. "Joke," she quickly said, waving her hand in the air. "Just a joke," she repeated, leaning on her spear. "But really, tell me – it seems serious."

"Artemis and Frances used the entrance that we avoided earlier," she spilled out quickly. "I was going to bring it up to Harriet but," she shut her mouth just before Beta's name left her lips.

"But?' Ella gently prodded.

"I – I didn't know, or well –" Amelia stammered as she fought to find an excuse emitting Beta's name. She knew Ella, although not as well as others, she knew her enough to know that the girl had a quicker temper like some others and she didn't know if exposing Beta's decision of leaving them behind, (for a good reason though, she justified), would entice the anger out of the older girl.

"It's okay," the smile was wiped off her face and traded for a grimace. "I get it - I think," she mumbled as she turned towards Harriet.

Their previous leader turned towards them as if sensing their approach. "Yes?" she asked, her gaze going from Ella's sure stance and Amelia's flittering eyes.

And then the bomb was dropped and Ella's mouth quickly filled her in on the predicament that had been bothering Amelia. When she was done, they were the only three left behind to go into the sewer.

"They'll be fine," she decided, earning a frown from Ella.

" _Fine?_ You heard Teresa earlier, that way - _their way –_ is more dangerous," she argued. "We have to go back."

"No," Harriet shot down; Amelia's eyes flew back and forth between the two in silence. "It's too dangerous, I can't lose anymore girls."

"You can't? Then go and save the ones you will lose if you leave those two behind!" Ella's voice was rising.

"Artemis is smart, Frances is strong enough –"

"You're just making up reasons!" Ella cut off.

"We are not going back!" Harriet pressed her eyes close. "Now go into that slickin' sewer and follow orders!"

Amelia's gaze wandered over to the tightening grip on Ella's spear. "Why should I? _Teresa's_ the leader now, isn't she?"

"Yes,"Harriet glared at her. "And she said to go in the sewer, _stick,_ so move it."

Ella gave out one more huff before promptly turning on her heel and stomping into the sewer. Harriet turned the smaller girl who had remained quiet throughout the whole argument.

"Amelia," she began tiredly. The girl's eyes closed then flickered open to fix her with a heavy glare.

"We're not them," she managed out quietly. "We should be better than this,"and with that, she too went through the entrance.

Harriet heaved out a long sigh as she slid in right after. The darkness was welcomed and instantly, her eyes readjusted to the muted light of flashlights up ahead. Beside her, Sonya slid to flank her left and nodded towards the two girls she had contested with just a few minutes ago.

"Everything good?" she asked quietly. Just beyond them, the sound of Teresa ordering a girl to watch her back echoed past their heads.

"Just _lew,"_ she mumbled as the squelch of an arrow going through flesh followed her words.

* * *

"Oh, _shuck it,"_ Wei raised an eyebrow at the pacing Runner in front of her. Keeping true to her word, she had left their camp to do her scouting only to be trailed after by Minho finally relenting and taking lead by following the vague directions that Jorge had given him to follow. It was well past midnight now and probably half way through the night before sunrise until Minho deigned them worthy to take a break. They had gotten as close as about ten miles away from the exit of the city before they were warded off by nearby campfires, loud improvised music, and incomprehensible chanting.

Wei, for all her willpower did her, managed to not only keep up with her partner but also managed not to lag or, 'drop dead.' She leaned her back against the building they were resting behind and kept an ear out for suspicious sounds.

"You say something, stick?" she knew she shouldn't have done it, but Minho was so easy to rile up, and with their goal met, it was getting increasingly harder to keep awake. Poking at the boy was an easy entertainment that kept her mind up. She heard his pacing stop and pried one eye open.

"Nothing you klunk," and then his mouth audibly shut closed as curses directed at him were murmured under his breath. " _Shuck,"_ he repeated. " _Greenie,"_ Wei closed her eye again. "I mean _Wei,"_ she looked at him, fighting with all her might to not laugh at the obvious awkwardness that was emanating from him due to the situation. "I'm sorry," he spat out, then as if a magic lock had fallen off, he kept going. "I wasn't making fun of you being a girl or something, I was just – _shit,"_ this time, an actual curse left his mouth and none of the Glader lingo that Clint and introduced to her a while ago.

"Sorry?" Wei finally took pity on him. "I'm sorry, too, if it helps. It was nice of you to think of me, but when I say I can do it, I mean it," she got up to her feet. "I appreciate the concern but I know my own limitations."

She looked at him, and Minho stared back before slowly nodding his head. "Newt said it would be easier," he kicked a rock. "Apologizing, that is," he elaborated.

"I take it that was your first?" Wei smirked.

"Okay, I'm not that bad," Minho took back, but the slight upturn of his lips told her everything was fine between them again.

"Sure you aren't, stick – now lead the way back, I could use some sleep."

Minho started the pace without protestation. "So you're human after all?" he teased.

Wei rolled her eyes as they darted past landmarks that were slowly becoming familiar to her. They were close now, but then – she halted as a dark figure ran past their nine. Both runners stopped and with one look, agreed to go inspect. They followed quietly until Minho made the connection that it was Frypan that they had been stalking for the past hour; the sun was well over the horizon now.

"Let's just leave him," Minho decided as the boy went past a few more blocks before turning right. "Probably just doing a patrol or something," he reasoned, turning away. Wei didn't voice any objection as they began a light jog back to the camp.

Hunger and heat paired together were making her feel the intensity of her repercussions for avoiding sleep, and she was hoping to get even the shortest bit of naps upon their return. _Jorge would be merciful enough, right_? She thought just as the outcrops of the crowd of boys came into view.

"Home sweet camp," Minho muttered beside her as Newt and Clint stood at the edge, waving them over. However, just as they reached them, Aris had come up shouting about an approaching stranger. They all turned around to see who it was; Frypan.

"Guys!" he shouted as he neared them. "They have them!" Minho held the boy back by the shoulders.

Frypan gripped onto the hands holding him down. "The _Cranks have Thomas."_

And just like that, everyone snapped into place.

Minho's face contorted into a scowl as he whipped around at turned to call everyone with Newt at his heels. Clint sent Wei a wayward glance before deciding to hand her the frugal meal he had set aside for her before joining the others; she was left with Aris who was no better than a stranger at this point.

"Go," she relented, seeing the itch in his eyes. Aris nodded at her, mumbling about filling her in later as he jogged to meet up with the rest. Even Jorge who was well above all their ages gave into the anxiousness that had settled around the camp and began prodding Frypan for news about Brenda.

Wei shook her head and took spot as their watch as she ate the can half full of beans and downed the rest of her water. If the excitement was anything to go by, they were about to head off onto a rescue mission and she was going to need all her strength for it.

The abrupt meeting was brief, however, and soon, her moment of isolation was brought to a foreclosure with Minho's arrival. "I need you as lookout," he began.

Wei looked at him to continue on.

"We don't know if there are more of them out there so we need you and Clint to watch the area while we barge in and get Thomas and Brenda out," he elaborated.

A medic and a runner on standby. Wei could see some logic in that pair up, but she saw through Minho's detailing yet decided to keep her observations to herself; another hint that she was truly at the brink of running out of energy. So she nodded as her said partner joined her side. A semblance of relief seemed to escape the tautness in Minho's shoulder as he left them be.

"We go first," Clint said as the boy got farther away.

"So I can get more sleep?" Wei smiled as his cheeks colored. So she was right.

"I'll wake you up," he relented as they began walking towards their assigned position. "I'm sure I can handle looking at streets by myself."

Wei grinned, "I don't know, sounds like tough work for you. Are you sure you don't need a hand or two more?"

Clint rolled his eyes and pushed her aside. "Yes, you stickhead, I'm sure."

Although, they probably should have been more wary about the easiness in the situation. Having taken up watch on the first floor of the opposite building, Wei and Clint watched their friends' facilitated escape in silent tension that had refused to allow Wei some sleep until two familiar faces lumbered out the tiny door causing her to jump out of her seat.

Frances and Artemis.

They were alive but almost unrecognizable with the amount of bruises and dirt muddying up their appearance. They were stumbling out, cautiously being led away by some of the boys until Jorge's running figure filled her vision as he went out to carry the girl draped around two boys' shoulders. That was Brenda, pale with a dark gash running up a her forehead. _Gods, she looks dead,_ she thought before she saw a blonde figure emerge from the vacated doorway with a pistol in his hands. He raised it up and was beginning to aim.

Wei ignored the jagged glass of the broken window and pushed her torso out of it. " _Gun!"_ she screamed. Everyone instinctively dropped down as the shot rang out loud and clear; her heartbeat stopped as she found Brenda, alive but out of sorts, left on her feet – turn and sway to the side.

Right in line with the bullet.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _Keyboard is back! Meaning I'm back! We have about two more chapters left of the Scorch and I'm going to say sorry now if Minho seems out of character - the scenes just flowed out my hands so I tried to do everyone justice - all the characters are actually acting on their own at this point - i have no control anymore; you all will get what I mean by the next chapter. Updates will be reduced to once a week as I focus on my other stories! Hope it was good and I'll see you all next time!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

Two more bullets left the gun's chamber, each marking and hitting a different victim before anyone managed to act. Minho was either the closest or fastest as she watched him tackle the shooter to the ground. What happened after that, Wei didn't know as her eyes darted to the blossoming rouge flower on Clint's torso. Almost mechanically, her palm went out to press against the wound as more shouts filled the air. Frantically, she found her voice to join the others as she called for help. Clint had been shot.

Was he supposed to bleed that much?

Belatedly, more boys joined her and took Clint out of her grasp as another hand pushed her into Aris' locking hold.

" _We have to go,"_ he kept saying. Where were they taking Clint? She had to follow – she had to make sure he was alright.

Aris kept his hold on her body tight, however, as he led them away from the scene. Then her mind recalled the haggard figures of Artemis and Fran. She shouted their names as she tried looking for them among the blurs of panicked boys; _why was this happening?_

Wei forced her eyes to close as she finally let Aris lead them to their next destination. She was so, _so tired;_ everything around her was all turning into a mush of colors and noises. When darkness came to her, she welcomed it rather than run like she had done previously. She needed to shut down. Just forget for a while. Be lost in her thoughts.

 _Just disappear._

When she came to reality again, a fire was being coaxed to life in front of her and slowly she realized that her head was resting on something bulky. Wei turned her cheek and felt the familiar bump of an overfilled pack before sighing and turning her back from the fire; they were at the edge of the city now, by the desert – why did they need any more heat?

"H – Hey!" Chuck's voice cajoled her bleary eyes to open again. She watched him tentatively approach her prone from and sit a few steps in front of her. "You're awake," he pointed out, a half-smile spreading across his face. "I never got to thank you for saving my life, by the way," he added. "So thanks! – um," Wei's eyelids fluttered close again. As happy as she was to see him still well – her body still did not have quite the adequate energy to focus in on his chatter. " –I'll go get Clint, okay? Stay here."

Wei surely didn't plan on moving and listened to the fading steps of the boy. He meant well but Wei was beaten. She had done what she said she would never do to herself after seeing the previous Head Runner tinker with the end of her life just because she had refused to look after her own health.

A warm body sat by her as she pushed herself to sit up against the boulder nearby. "Isn't it dangerous to have a fire going?" she wondered, fingering the loose frays of her jacket. A gentle hand laid itself out against her forehead.

"You _stick,"_ Clint passed her a meal of some brown preserved meat squeezed into a can as he reached out for the water pack beside him. "You could have died."

"You almost did too," Wei murmured as she reluctantly forced down the food. He had been shot, bleeding, and had gone into shock as she had when she spotted his wound. They being alive at the moment, arguing over each other's health was just another testament to either the miracles due to some unknown deities or their stringent will to simply just live.

"Because you just screamed yourself a target!" Clint had never really raised his voice since being in her company, and for a time, Wei allowed herself to linger in the blur of a forgotten memory as she wondered if this was how it felt to be like a scolded child. "You've been just _deprived,_ " he eventually supplied, "while I was in a stupid fever – the bullet was rusty, infection settled in and all that." His voice trailed off as their mortality both sunk into their skins. Clint more of meditative while Wei ruminated over the underappreciated aegis that the Maze had offered them. At least there, they had a chance, they had time to rest – figure things out. Here, the dying embers of the fire were just as much of a representation of their lives as the decaying minds of the Cranks were; they all just burned too brightly, only to be consumed by bigger foes lurking in the dark that they had yet to blaze through.

" _Stick?'_ Wei finished her meal and watched as more of their numbers gathered around the growing fire. She felt the hardened stare of Clint first before she forced herself to look at him – the unexpected friend that cared more about her life than his.

"Of course you focus in on that," _Gods, he was so pale._ The fresh tan that brought a sort of warmth to his skin was gone, washed away did he look with sunken eyes and perspiring skin. "I was talking to one of the girls. Two of your friends from Group B were captured with Thomas after getting separated from the rest because of Cranks. One of them has a limp," he paused. "Artemis, I think she is. All buddied up with Newt seeing as Minho is hell bent on keeping her and the other one away from the rest of us – especially Thomas."

Well, Thomas was a walking target – and her family were always goal-driven. Wei couldn't exactly figure whether to applaud Minho for his caution or worry about Artemis and – "The other girl? Did she _not_ give her name or something?"

Clint opened his mouth, only to close it again as the words seem to have stuck themselves in his throat. "She didn't, not exactly," he settled. "Artemis did – does most of the talking. The other girl's name is Fran, apparently she had to kill a Crank with her bare hands and I guess you can imagine the klunk that, that did to her head," he elaborated.

No, Wei couldn't really figure that part out because Frances, while all elbows and knees and jittery limbs, was a stagnant force. Someone reliable – stable. "Do they know?" she asked.

"Aris told them once they got Frances tied down – shuck girl lost her mind as soon as we got out the city," Clint filled in.

"And how long have we been out?"

"Two days with one other person that got hit. Jorge's been a savior getting the bullets out and sterilizing the wounds," he nodded towards the shadow beyond their camp. "We haven't lost anyone else because of him."

 _Else._ That was a topic Wei didn't feel like prodding for the night, and so she stood up. "Thank you," she nodded at Clint's unwavering gaze. The boy had done more than anyone would have asked of him. "I'm going to catch up with my girls," she explained, finding their figures clustered at the edge of the fire, just barely in the company of the heat that it provided. True to word, they were ostracized from the rest of the boys with nothing but Newt's back and a boy she had never spoken to being the nearest Gladers to them. Wei took a deep breath in, ignoring the raised eyes lingering on her person and Minho's needless warning gaze, as she made herself known to the girls of Group B.

"Hey," she spoke quietly, as if afraid to break the illusion that they could have been. Artemis' eyes were the first to acknowledge her appearance – irises of variant hues of green all mixed together to form a memory akin to something of home and stargazed nights. However, she was not the one to anchor her to the fact that they were real. It was Frances who did that, with her body carelessly slamming into hers, lanky arms confining her into an embrace that was too long overdue – sobs recklessly shaking both their bodies as repetitive apologies spilled over her cries.

She was with her family, she belatedly realized as Artemis joined them.

She was found again.

* * *

"I don't like her," Sonya murmured as girls behind them grouped up and set up their own version of camp with the ample amount of supplies that they had managed to plunder over the past three days. Escaping the Crank-infested city through the underground sewers was a gamble that had both saved and cost them; they got out within a day at the loss of a few lives. To make matters even more complicated, Teresa had insisted on plowing through without letting the girls properly mourn their grievances; an inevitable rift formed between them in result.

"No one does," Harriet frowned as she watched said girl meander through their makeshift camp. "But she's our way out."

Sonya crossed her arms as they both spotted smoke rising off the ground in the distance. "According to Ella, she's WICKED's," the girl had done nothing but be a well of rumors and bad feelings – quenching the scorned and trapping the uneasy. Ever since word of her decision to leave Artemis and Frances behind, the hierarchy that they had built themselves upon grew shaky with each passing day. "Do you?" Sonya's voice trailed off.

 _Do you think they're still alive?_

Harriet didn't give voice as both girls felt Teresa's presence near them. "The day is coming soon," she spoke as she stepped in between the two to walk further towards the ledge overlooking the miles that they had previously crossed.

The two original girls of Group B exchanged looks. Yes, the day was coming, but unknown to Teresa, it would be more than just a day of freedom.

"Will your girls be really able to do it?" Teresa tore her eyes away from the horizon, discarding the mood that had settled in among them.

"Just lead, and we'll follow," Sonya spoke for the both of them.

"Your girl doesn't seem to agree with that idea," Teresa pointed out Ella's figure among the leftover girls. Harriet couldn't prevent the number flashing in her head. Twenty-three girls – that's all that they had left from the thirty-something that had escaped the Maze.

"She's just shaken," Sonya glanced over at Harriet. She had yet to play her part in the conversation. "Hadn't been able to get over the losses and stuff yet."

"The stick's just looking out to vent."

"I'm doing what I _can,_ okay?" Teresa's grip on her bow tightened. "This is the only way!" 

"And we get that, she'll follow us - she's too loyal not to," Harriet assuaged. Teresa's gaze closed in on her, lessening in intensity by only a fraction.

"I should hope so for all our sakes."

* * *

The reunion with her two girls ended with the arrival of Newt's presence. Wei opened her mouth to complain but Artemis beat her to it. Her lips expertly coaxed the stalwart to girl much to the chagrin of Fran – but her protest, too, was silenced.

"Who died and made you king?" Wei bit out, her irritation blatantly on display for all to see. Newt quietly chose this time to back out, pulling the curious ears of Thomas and Aris along with him. "Since when do you summon people?"

"Since those shucks named me the leader," Minho crossed his arms. When Wei shouted her warning, his heart had stopped. He froze while the ruthless time kept going; Brenda first, then a shuckface named Lee, and – he couldn't remember ever seeing that much blood. They were far, she was supposed to be sleeping – out of harm's way, but then there they were in front of an open window. The dormant volcano in him let loose just before he could decipher whose blood was whose. There had been _so much;_ his hands were stained as they were. Bloodied with all the Gladers he had failed to save, and he could only carve so many of their names into his brain. "You shouldn't be talking to her."

"They're my friends, Minho."

"We can't trust them, those shucks are part of Group B." Why couldn't she see that?

Wei stared at him as if he had two heads. "I'm from Group B too," she reminded, and she hadn't done anything to warrant their raised guards or stout faith. She just did what she had to do, saving and helping a few Gladers along the way only because she had promised herself that in order for herself to survive, she would not only get out safely from the trial but also keep her morals intact as well; she refused to sacrifice her humanity for a ticket to a haven.

"You're also part of Group A," Minho decided he would meet every nail with claw. He wasn't going to back down – not to her, not to WICKED.

"I've done nothing to earn that spot, and you know it." Wei shifted her weight to her other foot.

"You saved Chuck and Thomas, don't give me that klunk." The sun, while absent, would be making its arrival soon. The visible shift in temperature made him crease his eyebrows more. He had to get Wei on their side soon, if not, then a rift was inevitable. She had earned more than enough respect from the Gladers, and if in the end, she chose her affiliation with the girls over them, then at least half the boys would hesitate to even move against her and consequently her group too; it was easier to kill a stranger than someone known. And that was how it was going to end anyway, Minho had pondered over this more times than he could count. As long as a member of Group B still breathed, then Thomas and collectively, all of them, would always be in danger. His death was their ticket out, and the Gladers were never known to sacrifice their own.

He would rather have their names on his hands than his friends.

He watched as Wei seemed to make the same general assumptions as him. "I won't let them kill him," she said quietly.

"And do you think that they'll follow you? Someone who is supposed to be dead?" Minho retorted. Because he wouldn't, and a group was harder to convince than two half-starved and frightened girls. "Either way, a dead Thomas is your ticket out, not a live one. You let us leave, means you let them die. No one is surviving this hell hole."

Wei glanced back at Thomas's figure sleeping by the fire with Chuck. _No one is killing Thomas,_ was unspoken, but she heard that loud and clear as well. She looked back at Minho, memorizing the hard-pressed line that seemed to have made a home on lips that had once given her, her first unguarded smile in their Glade. A part of her wondered if somewhere in his plans, he had found a way to smuggle her into Group A's ship out. Or if Minho had the guts she didn't to realize that she was better discarded than kept by their side. Ultimately, she knew the answer and that scared her, yet Wei refused to believe that they had all escaped just to end with a blood bath. But then again -

"It doesn't have to be ours," she murmured, then spun around and threw both hands over Minho's shoulders. The boy's eyes widened as he watched the spark in her gray irises give life to a glowing flame. "Let them take Thomas, Minho," she spoke excitedly.

He stared at her.

"Let us escort him to Group B. Minho," she shook her head as if willing away the bright grin that had encompassed her face. "Let the three of us talk to the girls and convince them otherwise. We don't have to fight each other," she beamed, dropping her hands and clasping them together, trying to hold the painful shine overtaking her; the plan was brilliant. No one would be the wiser to expect it. "We just have to fight _them."_

Seven seconds passed.

"Excuse me, what?" Minho finally replied. "Tell me on whose side has A) technologically advanced weapons; B) a lot of trained soldiers; and C) the Cure that will wipe away the Flare, which we all have, and will probably kill us eventually if they don't do it first?" he fixed her with a heavy stare. He thought she was smarter than this.

Wei briefly opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, as if trying to wring out an answer to combat the impossible odds stacked against him. But there wasn't one – there could never be one. Her crazy idea was just simply improbable. However, the next set of words to come out weren't from her.

"Actually, _hermano,"_ Jorge came up from behind them. A silent shadow to that of his previous thundering presence. "I think she may have a point."

Minho rolled his eyes. "No she doesn't, this –"

" _Boy,"_ Jorge cut off, his voice but just a mere rasp from the thirst he sentenced himself to go through. "I worked for WICKED, _entiendes?_ When I say she may have a point, I mean she does."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _Well, we're almost there! Hope it was good! And now for replies:_

Guest: _No, you weren't. We're all entitled to say what we want and anyway, you said it pretty nicely - it could have been said worst. And I get that - the knowing Group A more thing. Anyway, you have your answer as to what happened to her! Thanks for reading!_

Green Eyes Wander: _Thank you, and thank you for reading! I try and really? I'll check one of them out some day soon maybe!_

: _That scene had its own mind, thanks for reading! And well - here's part of your storm!  
_

THE Guest: _Thank you for reading and thanks for your input - yeah I can see the rough edges and I cringe, but the scene already played out so I had to make do with what I could._


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** _The Maze Runner trilogy and movies are not mine. They belong to James Dashner and respective owners._

* * *

Minho stared at the two people in front of him, wondering at what point in their time in the Scorch together, they had succumbed to the heat or if all this was just a dream that he had yet to wake from. But the hard pressed lines on the older man's face were too unmistakable in their raw agony and fury for this scenario to have been contrived from his head.

WICKED. Jorge worked for WICKED – but then again, hadn't he used past tense? Did that mean that they had discarded him when he no longer was of use to them? Or did he quit and was sentenced here for the secrets that he may have been exposed to? These thoughts filtered through his head in the span of five seconds, and it was all beginning to give him a headache; "Wait."

"What?" Wei was channeling on her own rage, it seemed – jumping to conclusions first rather than thinking. Strangely enough, Minho wondered why he wasn't doing the exact same thing given the fact that the man could have had a hand in their entrapment in the Maze and maybe even the Scorch as well.

"You," he pointed at Jorge, seemingly frozen in place as he realized whose line of fire he was in at the moment. "Wait here, I'm going to get some of the other shucks and then you're going to explain exactly what kind of klunk you're trying to pull on us and everything you know about WICKED," he was going to sort all this out and at the end of it all, he decided he was going to retire at a nice beach and shove that title of leader right up Thomas's derriere and see how he handles it all as a form of entertainment.

Yes, that was a good plan. He turned around, remembering just who exactly he left Jorge with.

"Don't kill him," he added belatedly.

Wei managed to give him a condescending stare in reply before she resumed her glare at Jorge. "You worked for WICKED?" she repeated. This man who had aided them had worked with the people that had imprisoned her, her family, and the boys.

Jorge stared at the girl in front of him, all icy unbridled fury barely contained in the precise way she threw her words. Brenda and she were alike in many ways, but in where there was a free-spirited recklessness in Brenda's anger, Wei was cold and computing. The comparison suddenly made his shoulders feel heavier than they should have felt. "I will explain when the others get here."

But that was not suffice to assuage her. No, while this man had been nothing but a reluctant benevolent stranger, he had infringed upon the trust that they had built with him causing her to rethink his person. No, she wasn't a fool to think he had no ulterior motives but this was more than wanting a ticket out of the Scorch too – theses were lives he had been ruining.

" _What kind of nightmares keep you up, Jorge?"_ she murmured.

"I was just a pilot." The man's terse response was automatic but defeated.

Wei looked at him, grey eyes filled with sudden clarity as she examined the man that was before her. Yet she made no comment to disprove or challenge his reply. The world she has grown up in and knows was a world built on illusions and she just wanted it all to be over. She wanted to see where she was going for once without having to worry under any pretenses that her life was just another variable being toyed with. She wanted to dream again like she had in the Plain, and that made her all the more bitter.

"So the shuck's still alive," Minho jogged up to them with Thomas, Newt, and Aris in tow. Behind them, Wei spotted Artemis lingering on the sidelines with Frances, a shadow to her back. She crossed her arms.

"I don't trust him," she referenced Aris as he slowly joined them. After Jorge's announcement, she was going to take all the precautions she could take. No more ambling and running when it suited her. Aris was either truly someone to be suspicious of or just an unfortunate acquaintance that was a victim of her cautions. Either way, she would never forget the alarms she heard in her head when he reacted to Thomas' mention of Teresa on countless of occasions.

Minho didn't look to argue with her and casually dismissed the boy who appeared to want to protest, but only got silenced with Minho's adjoining insult; the boy held no love for him either, it seemed.

"And can Artemis come?" she added. Her friend had a right to know what was going on and what was to happen to them in the upcoming days.

Minho shot her an exasperated look but didn't argue as Wei took her cue to beckon her over. She did, with Fran by her side. Once all gathered, Minho gave her one last withering look before calling out Jorge.

"Now," he began, "tell us everything."

Jorge's eyes jumped from each face to the next in the circle that had gathered around him before he drew in a collective breath and dove into his story. He excluded no detail, omitted no shame, and told the girls and boys before him about the Flare and how it took everything from the world. He divulged in his tale about how he lost his own family and friends in the fight for survival and how WICKED took him in as a pilot for one of their flying planes called a Berg. He told them how at that point, his only ties on earth were his living body and his promise to his dead loved ones to keep on going and remember them; how he ruthlessly corralled people to their deaths and transported equipment meant to destroy and not fix; how he became more machine than man as he became one of the few reliable mechanisms of WICKED for his immunity and proficiency – how Brenda found him leading infected children to the Scorch to perish with no ails, and how she reminded him of a love and a sister long gone and almost forgotten; how he slowly discovered his humanity again amongst the disparity and darkness.

"And now they took your humanity away," Artemis quietly glanced over at Fran who had surprisingly remained still for the duration of his story.

"You said immunity. People can be immune?" Wei chose to focus in on that. The Rat Man as Thomas so fondly called, said that they had all been infected and that the Cure was their prize at the end of this desert. _But can you infect the immune?_ She wondered if they had gotten that advanced in science.

" _Si,"_ Jorge confirmed. "And as far as I know, all of you are immune or else why throw away subjects that they have wasted millions on?"

 _Why kill your research?_ Wei felt as if there was more to this but let herself take some time to ponder over these new facts before concluding upon anything.

Newt yawned. "So is that bloody it?" he asked. "We're all just some _experiments?"_

Minho's hands involuntary clenched together. It felt like they were less to them – more of game pieces than tools for research. But now, he looked over at Wei, her plan was more conceivable now. While he still didn't know everything, he had enough to reassure himself that a planned affront against WICKED may be their only chances of escaping them for good. Either way, if they were captured they still had this so-called immunity protecting them. Rather than go against each other, their groups could save the lives that would be lost in a clash and put them to better uses – against the real enemy.

"Guys," he turned around to face them. Jorge was still under scrutiny, but he deemed himself reliable enough. The shuck's – Artemis', wording was exact enough. If Jorge had truly fallen and Brenda had been his only saving grace, then WICKED had just made a mistake with dispatching her and losing an informant. "I have a plan."

"Excuse me," Minho allowed himself a grin as Wei's voice spoke up. " _We_ have a plan," he corrected, and relayed his own surmised version of her earlier proposal.

When he was done, he waited for any disproving voices. Newt, unsurprisingly, spoke up first. "That sounds insane, you're risking Tommy's life here, but not only that," he stared at both him and Wei. "The plan's just bloody impossible, stupid, insane, unreasonable, risky –" he paused. "- and did I mention insane?"

"And that's why we're going through with it," Minho reasoned, because it was brilliant and unexpected.

Newt sighed. "Thomas, tell them they're being stupid," he looked at the boy, but in his hesitance, he already got his answer and threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! Let me be the only bloody shuck with a mind," he turned to Minho. "When we die, I reserve the right to tell you,'I told you so,' first." And with that, he walked away.

Minho grinned and clapped his hands together. "Great! We're all in, "he conceded. "Now all you slintheads go get some sleep first cause we still got a long way to go." He nodded at everyone before patting Thomas' back. Together, the two boys departed.

"We should all sleep while we can," Artemis agreed, looking imploringly at Wei.

She smiled at the girl. "I think I've slept enough," she replied wryly. "You go on ahead, you need it more. And Fran?" said girl stopped fidgeting with the fringes of her shirt. "Make sure she actually sleeps, okay?"

Fran nodded. "Well I tried," she waved at Wei. "Good night."

"Good night," Wei echoed, and watched as the two girls headed back to where they came from. When she was finally left alone, she took a step back and observed her surroundings. Only a few people were milling about in the late night now, with two of the four being the night watch for the next two hours. It was so easy to forget that they were just mere teenagers, she realized. Her sights turned to settle on a figure standing over a mound of debris and sand.

Jorge.

She approached him and took solace in the silence bequeathed around the grave. Brenda was a firecracker – reason in the face of the insane. Wei did not pretend to know her, she had been more of a stranger than Jorge was, but she had saved Jorge, and that was all that was left of her legacy now.

"My nightmare is losing my humanity," she found herself admitting. "And in the process, I guess becoming like a Crank as well." Those crazed eyes, she would never forget. They weren't even lifeless, the human inside those sick people were still there, trapped maybe even conscious of the virus that had taken control of their body, forcing them to do deeds that were inconceivable.

"I stop running in my mine," Jorge's eyes never left the grave, but he was as aware as he could ever possibly be. For years he had been lost without a cause until Brenda's arrival, and now, she was gone and in her place, a new girl – more of shadow of what Brenda was, but till enough of a ghost of her to torment him.

"Is that so bad?" Wei had been running all her life. It was the only thing that she knew how to do, and where had it gotten her? Out of the Maze and at the end of the Scorch – close to freedom.

"It means I have given up."

She shook her head. "No," she never gave up. "It means you chose to live," she glanced down at his calloused hans, at the small gun concealed somewhere in his various pockets. "You're not allowed to stop running," she said.

"And why is that, _hermana?"_ Jorge was tired. He wanted to stop, he was at his limit. He was done hoping.

"Because that's the easy way out," she decided she was going to forgive Jorge, a product of what you could turn into in this cruel world. "You have to keep leading so that Brenda's memory is still alive. You owe her that much."

 _How she says it so plainly_ , Jorge clenched his fists. "I will do what I can," because deep down, he knew she was right. And it hurt to admit, but he would do this – for Brenda, his sister, and his old love. They deserved better, and he would keep going until he could find the peace that had evaded them in this world.

* * *

"Where are they?" Teresa paced, echoing the same thought in everyone's heads. Group A had been just a half day away since last night, but after setting up a new camp deeper towards the mountains and carving out new weapons, none of their scouts had reported any nearby movement, and by the time she decided to look herself with Harriet and a quiet looker nickname Beta, she found the reports to be true.

The boys were nowhere in sight. Thomas was still far from her reach.

She stopped walking as she watched Beta motion something at Harriet. The older girl heeded her silent words and looked at the horizon. "They're settled down," Teresa observed aloud for them. "Why?"

"Who knows?" the ex-leader murmured. "But Beta hear says that they sent out a small party to go ahead. Our target might be in that group," Harriet observed.

Teresa shook her head. "No, that's too risky for them to do – but," she paused. Thomas always lacked self-preservation when it came to watching out for his friends. "Gather most of the girls, we'll circle them."

"How many are you going to leave behind?" Harriet wondered.

"Five, with one Runner – that should be good enough," Teresa decided. The day was looming closer. She looked at Harriet only to notice that the short girl beside her had disappeared. She was used to it however, as many of the girls in Group B seemed to have been disciplined into some sort of skill. It was a smart move on their part as it provided a living testament to the survival rate that the group had. Briefly, she wondered if the Gladers would have had more boys with them if they had been just as efficient.

"Here." It was the girl Ella, still loud in her opinions but loyal just as Harriet said she would be.

"Spread out into a circle, come out on when we get the surrounded," she told the girls around her. They assented with no pause as they took cover in the sparse foliage around them. "You two are with me," she gestured for Harriet and the just arrived Sonya to follow her lead as she moved back to lie in wait for the Gladers.

When they came through the ascent of the hill, Teresa made no hesitation to launch an arrow at the lead's feet. They stopped, and Teresa pushed back her surprise to see that more than one girl was in their company.

Wei stood still as Artemis beheld the arrow with a sort of respect at its precision. Although, as she looked up, she acknowledged that she would have been better. The girl that arose from the top of the upcoming hill was of average height with large blue eyes. In her hands was a better crafted brow than the one she had lost in the tunnels, with an arrow noched and trained on them. From behind, both girls heard Thomas' whisper of her name.

"Teresa?" Artemis murmured, curiously looking over at Harriet who stood by her and Sonya who lingered back. Wei made no reply as her eyes darted between the estranged girl and Aris, who stood a few ways behind her. There had been a flash of something akin to more than familiarity in their eyes, and for that reason, she knew that Jorge would be the least of their issues in terms of betrayals.

"We just want Thomas, give him to us and we won't kill you," the girl proclaimed as Group B took the cue to surround them, weapons all raised. Wei, unlike the boys who cursed behind her, found herself frozen as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Every person present sent a sigh of relief, and every person absent caused an ache in her heart.

"Aris!" Sonya's voice sailed over the group as she finally spotted the boy. Said brown haired boy smiled, but made no motion to approach her with all the weapons directed at them.

"Guys, it's us!" Artemis shouted on their behalf. The apparent leader, Teresa, frowned as she shot another arrow at their feet. "Only Thomas," she repeated. "We only want Thomas."

"Bloody hell, Teresa! What's going on?" Newt scrambled to say. _Just play along with it,_ Wei thought.

"Teresa –" she began to beseech.

"Be quiet!" her eyes narrowed as she aimed her next arrow at Wei. "What part of only Thomas, do you not get?!"

Wei felt a tug at her lips. Something had changed.

"No!" all eyes went to the brunette with her spear lowered. "Harriet," she looked over at the said girl, past the irate glare of Teresa, and continued, "We're taking them too."

"They're a part of us," she asserted, causing a hum of agreement to chorus among the girls. Teresa scowled, but Wei knew that the girl was cornered. If she wanted to keep her reign, she was going to have to give the majority this.

"Fine," she assented, and stalked forward with Harriet and Sonya flanking her.

The tension in her shoulders was evident as she stalked past Wei and Artemis to grab the scruff of Thomas' shirt and throw him behind her for Harriet and Sonya to surround, spears pointing at his sides. Teresa looked each Glader present, in the eye as if doing a count. When she was satisfied with what she saw, she let Harriet and Sonya take Thomas away as Artemis and Wei waited for her. "Make one move to follow and I swear I won't hesitate to shot an arrow at any of you," she caught Minho rolling his eyes. "I mean it."

"Let's go," she commandeered, as Wei and Artemis took their leave to join the other girls slowly leaving the valley. They didn't dare turn around as they collectively agreed that something might go amiss with Teresa's new role as leader. However, they didn't need to see in order for them to hear an arrow being loaded as Minho shouted about getting Thomas back.

Yet before the girls could dare even think about chancing a look back, they spotted Ella running over to them as soon as Thomas was bound and covered after climbing over the hill. "You're actually alive," the girl grinned as she slung an arm around both their shoulders to pull them into a tight.

Wei good-naturedly scowled at her, "Nice to know that I've been missed," she said just as Teresa stalked past them. "How did she get here?"

"You know that stick?" Ella frowned as they took up the rear of the group and began marching back to their hidden camp. "She popped up one day with Beta saying that's she the one and all that – slickin' annoying wanna-be queen if you ask me."

That was new. Wei glanced at Artemis, knowing that the girl quickly made the connection with Teresa and the only girl that she had mentioned in her story. "She must be a –"

"Stick don't do it," Ella shot her a withering glare.

"- royal pain in the ass, huh?" Wei finished, coaxing out a groan from both girls.

"She did it," Artemis smiled, more at the ease of camaraderie that had settled among them and not at the poor, obvious pun.

"That she did," Ella muttered. "Things have change with her around – some girls are all for it, but most of us are just following her as need be. Sonya doesn't like her but Harriet seems to have just given up all her power," she returned to the problem at hand, figuring that the two Runners would be able to conjure up some sort of solution to the issue.

"We have an idea, but it's pretty ridiculous – although it's all we have," Wei looked at the girls tentatively moving onward, knowing that many of them would more rather catching up on Artemis if not her; Wei's position in the family had been more of the distant aunt in the group of girls – present, but busy. She was known but she could only probably claim a little more than a handful of them as close friends and as loyal followers to her risky plan.

"We'll take anything, trust me."

Wei looked over at Teresa's back, straight and rigid. This was not the same girl who she had escaped with in the Maze. "Beta," she murmured as the small girl seemingly materialized beside her. She ignored the jump that Ella did at discovering her as well in favor for the few words Annaleise spoke.

"Amelia says Harriet is planning on talking to the boy tonight with Sonya."

"And then that will be our chance," Wei thought it over, glancing at Artemis. The girl got the cue and nodded her head. While their two leaders spoke, she would sprout the plan on them. That way, the seeds would already be sown before any contesting opinion from them could be made.

* * *

Chuck wasn't good at many things, and he had made his peace with that. He wasn't good at the things that the other boys needed, and he could understand that. Did that mean that he was fine with remaining in idle? No, he wasn't. So when the opportune moment came, he toyed with the idea that he would be useful for once and escaped Clint's supervision as soon as his attention was diverted to the frantic Fran; one thing he was good at – being unnoticed. Darting past the few guards looking over their camp and beyond, Chuck made a beeline for the way that Thomas and the others had gone. Every Glader knew of the plan that they were about to spring to action, and as much as Chuck was all for it – he couldn't help but feel displaced without the boy's presence.

So he followed them but as green began to sprout up and the landscape grew more drastic, Chuck stopped as he noticed a girl hidden behind a rock, eavesdropping on whatever lay ahead. Instantly, the boy shot down to the ground, realizing that Group B had surrounded his friends. Now whether to alert them or not was his dilemma, but he explicitly remembered Minho warding everyone away from daring to tamper with today's events or else; _do I want Minho's wrath?_

Chuck decided he didn't and slunk off to the side, hoping to give a wide berth to Group B and still be able to follow them undetected. The chances were slim, he felt, now that he had seen them armed to their sleeves, but he reasoned that if Wei came from them, then no harm would really befall onto him, _right?_

His worries were dispelled, soon enough however, as the longer he trailed after them unseen, he became confident in his ability to sneak past anyone. Even girls.

By the end of night, exhaustion had taken its toll on Chuck as he lay against a dead tree stump not too far away from their camp but hidden well enough. They had tied Thomas to a tree and as what looked like Teresa, stalked off into the sparse woods ahead, the girls all got together as two of their numbers approached Thomas.

Chuck wasn't sure about what words they were exchanging, but going by the eased way Thomas was talking to them, he assumed that his friend would be fine and decided that Teresa's location was due for some investigation. So he followed her, and what he found almost startled him into getting caught.

That was Aris!

And they were whispering really loudly, a heated argument perhaps but Chuck couldn't bring himself to care. Aris! He took an involuntary step back only to have two hands quickly pull him to the side and cover his mouth.

Eyes wide in alarm, Chuck pushed with all his might against his attacker and was freed a moment later to sprawl on all fours on the ground. Quickly, he sprung around only to catch sight of equally large but dark green eyes flashing in the moonlight. He opened his mouth, about to scream for desperation until he saw scarred palms raised up in the air as if to assure him that he or she was a friend, not a foe.

But her hands were scarred, and Chuck knew better to go with gut. He opened his mouth – the stranger tackled him.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _Well, we're almost there! Hope it was good! Next chapter will mark the end of the Scorch Trials but on that note, however, I will be going on a semi-long vacation so please have patience with me for the next weeks! Please & thank you!_


End file.
